An exciting forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be on his way out, and Dallas might be the perfect destination for him.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to tweak and re-tool their roster in search of playoff success, several players might still be traded before the start of the upcoming season, and Dallas could be a perfect destination for a forward looking for a fresh start.
So far this offseason, the Stars have focused on revamping the blue line with the buying out of Ryan Suter, re-signing of Nils Lundkvist and the additions of Matt Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Brendan Smith. On the contrary, the forward core has been left mostly untouched.
The only realistic one-way addition to the forward group was Colin Blackwell, but the Stars lost Joe Pavelski to retirement, Craig Smith to the Blackhawks in free agency and also traded Ty Dellandrea and Radek Faksa for picks and future considerations.
Currently, the Stars only have eleven forwards, leaving at least one spot open (or two including carrying an extra forward like Dellandrea last season). One could assume that the Stars might be holding one of those spots open for Mavrik Bourque, who was the AHL MVP last season, but that will still be a question mark until training camp. So ideally, the Stars probably need to add one more forward before the start of the season. Dallas currently has over $7.1 million to work with, with the first priority being a contract for restricted free-agent Thomas Harley.
This is where the Leafs can come in and provide Dallas with the perfect option. With all the talk around the potential move of Mitch Marner and his large contract, talk around the future of Nick Robertson has been overshadowed a bit. Recently, Robertson asked for a trade from the Maple Leafs, reportedly due to growing frustrations of being healthy scratched and sent down to the minors. And when he is getting a chance in the NHL, he gets very limited ice time with high expectations to produce in that small window of opportunity.
If the name sounds familiar to Stars fans, it is. Nick is the younger brother of Jason, who has made quite the name for himself in Dallas already. This isn't just another transaction for a player, but it adds familiarity and a connection beyond friends or former teammates. Just like with Jamie and Jordie Benn in the past, adding a brother to the team can do great things for the locker room.
Robertson was drafted 53rd overall by Toronto in the 2019 draft. The 22 year-old has played in 87 NHL games, recording 17 goals and 34 points. Notably, Robertson scored a highlight overtime winner against Dallas in one of his earlier appearances in his career.
Robertson seemed to find his game in the 2023-2024 season, tallying 27 of his 34 career points in just 56 games. Unfortunately, his progress has been halted several times due to injuries, and he could never gain a firm foothold in the Leafs offense-heavy lineup.
Nick plays a much different game than his brother Jason, who is just one season removed from a 100+ point season. The younger Robertson relies on his skating, joining the rush with a lot of speed. Also, unlike his 6'3" brother, Nick Robertson is more compact at 5'9" but makes up for it in other ways. He has a nasty wrist-shot with a quick release, and has learned how to put himself in places to beat goalies with a variety of shots.
The first hurdle will be convincing Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving to actually entertain the idea of trading away Robertson. When asked about the trade request, Treliving stated, "we need him to be a good player for us."
Clearly the Leafs value Nick Robertson in some capacity, which may price him out of the Stars reach. Stars GM Jim Nill is notorious for not over-paying for players, which is one of the many reasons he is the back-to-back Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award winner. But the Leafs have driven Robertson's value down to a low point by not playing him, scratching him and making it clear that up to this point, he has been nothing but a fringe player with previous potential that is quickly passing Toronto by.
The second hurdle for Dallas is the amount of cap space the Stars will have to use once Harley's contract has been determined. Robertson will also need a new contract, as his entry-level contract has expired. Puckpedia has his value listed at $2.39 million on a three-year deal, but his qualifying offer was under $1 million. While he does have that potential, he might not have proven enough to make a multi-million dollar contract worth the risk.
Per puckpedia.comIf he can stay healthy, there is no doubt that Robertson would thrive alongside his brother in Dallas, surrounded by the talent and depth the Stars already have. With Pavelski leaving, the top line that has been together for the last several seasons suddenly has an opening that might shake all the lines up. Robertson can slot in a middle-six role, or in a best-case scenario could even be the replacement for Pavelski on the top line with his brother.
While there are still some obstacles to work around, adding Robertson to the Stars family (literally) just might make sense.
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