The Golden Knights have been linked to trading for a disgruntled Maple Leafs forward.
The Vegas Golden Knights are being discussed as a potential destination for dissatisfied Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson.
Robertson, a pending restricted free agent, has requested a trade from Toronto after growing upset with his lack of playing time over the years. The 22-year-old apparently has no plans to sign another contract with the Maple Leafs, and Adam Proteau of The Hockey News believes the Golden Knights are a good fit for him.
Landing Robertson would strengthen Vegas’ middle-six forwards. The Leafs would be pleased with one of the Golden Knights.
“They have three second-round picks in the next three drafts, and Robertson would be much closer to home than he is in Toronto,” Proteau wrote.
“The Leafs might settle for a decent prospect instead of a draft pick, but whatever the case may be, Vegas would add a potential 20-25-goal scorer without removing anything from the NHL roster, and Toronto would get rid of an unhappy camper, freeing up a roster spot for a youngster like Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten. It’s a win-win situation for both sides, and it’s the type of trade that frequently occurs in hockey’s top league,” Proteau added.
A trade to Vegas makes sense, given that the Golden Knights lost Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Anthony Mantha in free agency. So Vegas needs to add another skilled forward to their top six, which Robertson can do.
Robertson was picked 53rd overall in the 2019 NHL draft but has only skated in 87 regular season games over portions of four seasons. In 87 games, he has 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points.
Maple Leafs’ GM Has No Plans To Trade Robertson.
Although Robertson has requested a trade, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has stated that he does not want to sell the 22-year-old.
Treliving sees Robertson as an essential member on their squad and wants to re-sign him for the 2024-25 NHL season.
“Certainly, I was aware of some irritation on Nick’s side. But we see Nick as an outstanding player, and there’s a great chance for him here, and we need him to perform well for us,” Treliving told the media on July 1. “I’m not going to get into any speculation or any public back-and-forth. We’ll leave it at that and keep moving forward.”
If Robertson re-signs with the Maple Leafs, he will likely be the team’s second-line left winger.
Leave a Reply