Trade chatter surrounding Nick Robertson is heating up again, and this time, it feels different.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the 24-year-old forward is seeking a larger role and more opportunity in the NHL — something he’s struggled to find with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Leafs GM Brad Treliving has reportedly spoken with a few teams that have shown interest, and there’s a growing belief that “it might be time to give him a fresh start somewhere else.”

All the while, Pierre LeBrun noted on TSN Insider Trading that the CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Keith Pelley, has reportedly given Treliving and the Leafs the green light to “go for it,” and that could mean trying to move pieces to get what they need. 

Robertson has played in all five games for the Maple Leafs this season, notching one assist. He’s averaging 11:04 per game, which is the third lowest on the team, and he’s quickly being forgotten about, something he’s grown accustomed to.

With the emergence of rookie Easton Cowan on the top line, even fewer opportunities will come Robertson’s way, making his potential ascension up the lineup challenging. 

What Easton Cowan's Play Means For Maple Leafs' Nick Robertson The Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie impresses on the top line, as Nick Robertson is once again stuck playing limited minutes. Is it finally time for a trade?

The Leafs also have a surplus of forwards, having brought in several names following the departure of Mitch Marner, and the numbers just don’t work in Robertson’s favor. 

This is not a new story, even if the specifics are different.

Since being drafted 53rd overall in 2019, Robertson has produced 32 goals and 57 points in 161 career NHL games, showing he’s got speed and the ability to score, even when he doesn't get much ice time.

Still, for some reason, Leafs coaches haven’t warmed up to the idea of using him in a regular role.  He ultimately got so frustrated with the lack of opportunity, he requested a trade ahead of last season.

His 2024 off-season issues went unresolved, but the organization threw some money his way to keep him, and he re-signed on a one-year, $1.825 million deal.

Perhaps the feeling was that he’d be tradeable at that number. 

Robertson’s development in Toronto has stalled, and while it’s understandable that an organization wouldn’t want to give him away for a bag of pucks, there will come a time when he won't be worth much to another team, especially as he gets older.

It’s becoming clear through the Leafs’ coaching changes and roster turnover that Robertson is not going to win this organization over. An opposing team will see that, eventually, getting Robertson for pennies on the dollar. 

If he’s not traded for something – even if it’s not the return the Leafs would hope for – he will find his way out. It may not be this season or this summer. It will happen, even as an RFA. 

At this stage, Toronto faces a decision: trade him while his value remains tangible, or risk watching it decline. Other teams could view Robertson as a low-cost reclamation project with upside, but the longer he’s miscast in Toronto’s bottom six, the less appealing that potential becomes.

For the Maple Leafs, optics may not matter all that much, but they should. Holding onto Robertson without a plan for his usage risks creating the perception that the organization is stifling a player’s career. In the past, there might have been a reason to have him on standby. Eventually, he won’t be a 'Plan B', or even a 'Plan C'. 

Also, the Leafs can’t possibly be worried about what he’ll become if he goes somewhere else. If they believed he had the potential to break out, they’d have given him more opportunities. 

The question now isn’t whether he should be traded — it’s when Toronto will finally decide the time has come to pull the trigger on something, especially since the organization has been told to "go for it."

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