Maple Leafs Linked to Two Potential Partners as Nick Robertson Becomes Key Trade Piece, per Insider
An NHL insider has provided an update on the Maple Leafs' Nick Robertson trade saga, and it appears that there are two teams who could be involved.
The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and the whispers surrounding Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson are making noise again after a quiet period in the rumor mill.
His name is starting to pop up in trade talks once again, and new interest is apparently coming from out west.
NHL insider David Pagnotta made Robertson a main trade candidate, placing him 24th on 'The Fourth Period's' "Trade Watch List."
Pagnotta identified two specific suitors, the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken, respectively, as clubs coveting Robertson.
Teams Reportedly Linked:
Dallas, Seattle
- David Pagnotta
To the Leafs, dealing Robertson might just be the move that gives them the center depth they desperately need going into the playoffs.
Seattle's interest is aligned with the recent Leafs-Kraken rumors targeting Yanni Gourde. According to TSN's Darren Dreger on 'Insider Trading', the Leafs may want Gourde, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In 35 games this season, he has six goals and ten assists, which indicate that he may be the kind of veteran, two-way presence Toronto wants. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars present a whole different story.
A trade to Dallas would reunite Nick Robertson with his big brother, Jason, a shining star for that club and hugely important this season, having posted 32 points on the year with 10 goals and 22 helpers.
It might add family intrigue to what, at most other times, may have been merely a 'normal' hockey deal.
There have been flashes of promise in Robertson's career in Toronto, with six goals and four assists in 34 games, but he has struggled to secure a consistent role in the lineup since being drafted 53rd overall in 2019.
A change of scenery might be just what he needs to unlock his full potential. Along with Gourde, a few other names making the rounds in rumor circles as options the Maple Leafs may look into are Ryan Strome, Scott Laughton, and Brock Nelson.
All of them would serve to strengthen center depth for the Toronto team that seriously needs it entering this high-stakes playoff run.
Whether by trading Robertson or just a broad shuffle, it appears the Leafs will be moving someone before that deadline in March.
