Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson has requested a trade and one trade pitch has sent him to Utah.
Robertson is an RFA and has informed the Maple Leafs he has no plans to re-sign as he was frustrated with his role. With Robertson requesting a trade, he has been the subject of trade rumors, and the website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would see Toronto deal Robertson to Utah.
Maple Leafs get:
- Jack McBain
Utah gets:
- Nick Robertson
In the proposed one-for-one swap, Toronto would deal the disgruntled forward to Utah for Jack McBain. McBain has one year left on his deal that pays him $1.59 million per season and if the deal goes through, he would project to be Toronto’s third-line center.
McBain was drafted 63rd overall in the 2018 NHL draft. Last season, he recorded 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 67 games.
Robertson, meanwhile, would give Utah some added scoring and would fit into their top six. Last season, Robertson recorded 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 56 games.
Maple Leafs GM Envisions Big Role For Robertson
Although Robertson has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs, Toronto doesn’t have to fulfill that request.
Instead, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said on July 1 that he believes Robertson is still a key player for the team.
“Obviously, I have known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” Treliving said on July 1. “There’s great opportunity for Nick here. We need him to be a good player for us.”
Robertson was often a healthy scratch and was never a consistent player which played a role in his decision to request a trade. He remains an RFA as any team can offer him a contract but Toronto would have the ability to match it.
Utah Was Active This Offseason
Utah relocated from Arizona and with a new owner at the helm, Utah was active this offseason.
The Hockey Club traded for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino and then signed key free agents like Kevin Stenlund and Ian Cole as well as re-signing Sean Durzi. After the first wave of free agency, Utah GM Bill Armstrong believes this year will be fun for Utah.
“There are going to be nights that we look like world beaters with the young guys running wild up front and there’s going to be nights that we take it on the chin a little bit,” Armstrong said. “But if we can be a little bit more consistent and take a step with the penalty kill, and just being a little bit more consistent in certain areas, it’s going to be a fun year for us.”
Utah head coach Andre Tourigny was also happy with what Armstrong accomplished this offseason.
“I think Bill and his group did a fantastic job to really attack our needs and prove we liked the rest of the team we had,” Tourigny said.
Utah will open its 2024-25 season at home on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
