Confirmed with Link: Nick Robertson asks for trade (Update signs 1 year/875k deal with leafs)

[Gallagbi]

Hate to walk away from him and his potential, but I can understand why he wants to move on

 

[francis246]

Asking for a trade and saying you have no intentions of singing seems a bit more harsh.

Jake Debrusk said the exact same thing, he had no intention on being a Bruin and wasn’t going to sign back there. He’s a UFA tomorrow. Point being a lot of young players are saying this now. You have young guys saying it before even signing an ELC now lol And the leafs have benefited from this (IE Hyman when he didn’t want to sign with Florida)

 

[aingefan]

Change of scenery swap is the best you can hope for. Any players come to mind in a similar situation?

Tomasino, Nashville

 

[All Mod Cons]

I don’t think it’s not so much Robertson doesn’t want to be a leaf. But there is no opportunity to grow here as a forward. I think it’s unreasonable to expect an offensive winger to enjoy being a fourth liner and get no shot at playing on the power play. That’s just not his role and the team is setting him up to fail by playing him in positions he just won’t succeed in.

That being said, you have to let him sit out until he agrees to sign, which he will! Unless theirs a GM willing to trade for him. Maybe Dubas will.

I don't think he wants to be a Leaf. His attitude is pretty poor, but par for the course for a Dubas pick.

His sense of entitlement is something that was instilled by Kyle. I hope we can move him tomorrow.

 

[Aus34Matt]

As soon as a player asks to be traded, you just gotta let them go. If the player ends up staying against their will, things don't usually end well.

I suppose it applies to everything else in life, can't force your spouse to stay when they ask for a divorce lol.

 

[Leaf Lander]

Trade him to dubas for a first rnd pick

 

[Nylander88]

I'm okay with moving on from Robertson.

Soft player. Not a complimentary player in our top 6 and doesn't suit a role in the bottom 6.
Hope we can acquire something or someone worthwhile for him.

 

[pdson]

See you later you suck anyways

 

[Zybalto]

He's been injured half the time up with the big club and wildly inconsistent the other half with more bad than good. Good offensively but gets killed on the defensive side and doesnt have the physical upside of a guy like Knies while being made of glass himself.


Not sure why people are saying he has been screwed around at all. Considering all his injury troubles, the guy is basically still 20 for his development too. This smacks of a real lack of maturity though.

Seems odd our depth guys keep requesting trades. Mikheyev, Sandin(allegedly), and now Robertson. I know Engvall requested one at some point as well.

Not sure if it's worth reading into or not.

In the playoffs for the Leafs:

Robertson: 1 goal, 1 point in 10 postseason games
Engvall: 0 goals, 4 points in 17 postseason games
Mikheyev: 2 goals (both EN), 4 points in 19 postseason games
Sandin: 1 goal, 1 point in 5 postseason games ( and a brutal giveaway to cost us a game)

Total: 4 goals (2 EN), 10 points in 51 games combined for these poor souls. How unfair for them to get treated harshly at all eh?

 

[Gaberd2608]

I don’t think it’s not so much Robertson doesn’t want to be a leaf. But there is no opportunity to grow here as a forward. I think it’s unreasonable to expect an offensive winger to enjoy being a fourth liner and get no shot at playing on the power play. That’s just not his role and the team is setting him up to fail by playing him in positions he just won’t succeed in.

That being said, you have to let him sit out until he agrees to sign, which he will! Unless theirs a GM willing to trade for him. Maybe Dubas will.

Almost every roster posted on here has him penciled in the lineup. We dont have any prospects looking better then him and we dont have cap space to sign anyone.

I could understand why he wants out as Im sure its a gong show behind closed doors but I cant see it because of opportunity.

 

[Leafsfan74]

I suspect they tried to trade him at least years deadline. I dont blame him for wanting a trade. He is a one dimensional player though who is inconsistent. Leafs should get a draft pick for him if lucky.

 

[Stephen]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807586076824862885

I agree with this take. The Toronto Maple Leafs will move on from Nick Robertson at a time of their convenience and choosing, and not because a borderline player decided he’s not signing. There’s more serious business to attend to than to spend any time to make this happen now.

And let’s be serious for a moment. A kid who is airing grievances about his ELC utilization isn’t someone you want in camp. The guy has no positional sense and over utilizes his deking, plays empty calorie effort and can’t even get open for a clean shot. Someone wanting out with a chance to make an impression with a new coach? The guy’s a dope.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

As soon as a player asks to be traded, you just gotta let them go. If the player ends up staying against their will, things don't usually end well.

I suppose it applies to everything else in life, can't force your spouse to stay when they ask for a divorce lol.

You actually don't have to let them go. If we are being offered nothing of value we absolutely should not trade him just because he whined loud enough.

 

[Puckstuff]

This is a high risk move by Robertson but I don't blame him at all. He was jerked around a lot and he was even sent down to the minors in the middle of a hot streak for cap compliance reasons.

This is a player who has 30 goal upside but is also on the softer side on a team with other smaller wings (Marner, Nylander, Domi).

He would be a potential steal for a team that wants a potential 25-30 goal scorer on a cheap contract.

 

[Stephen]

I don’t think it’s not so much Robertson doesn’t want to be a leaf. But there is no opportunity to grow here as a forward. I think it’s unreasonable to expect an offensive winger to enjoy being a fourth liner and get no shot at playing on the power play. That’s just not his role and the team is setting him up to fail by playing him in positions he just won’t succeed in.

Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann seemed to make progress establishing themselves as middle six capable forwards. The problem has always been Robertson himself. He doesn’t know how to play the game with the body he has.

 

[Stephen]

As clear as day, I saw the issues right after the Columbus series. It could not have been any clearer to me what needed to done. It was ever so simple. That was 5 years back.

The Leafs are not serious about winning.

The Leafs just don’t know how to be serious about winning, and coming to the realization that most of the Big 4 are useless is a slow and painful process.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Not surprised, he’s been mishandled by the organization.

 

[DopeyFish]

He's gonna score goals and points like you wouldn't believe the second he gets PP time

 

[aingefan]

There’s a bit of entitlement here, but he’s got a fair argument too.
This is a shame imo, kid is starting to put it together and show the game he showed in junior.
The injuries were earlier in his career, he’s stronger and better built; the knocked off the puck part happened less; he was getting greasy; and he can score goals.
He’s gonna score a lot of em before all is said and done.
He really wanted to play here - didn’t he pass up a chance to play the world juniors to stay and train for the Leafs?
Timing is weird.

 

[Stephen]

This is a high risk move by Robertson but I don't blame him at all. He was jerked around a lot and he was even sent down to the minors in the middle of a hot streak for cap compliance reasons.

This is a player who has 30 goal upside but is also on the softer side on a team with other smaller wings (Marner, Nylander, Domi).

He would be a potential steal for a team that wants a potential 25-30 goal scorer on a cheap contract.

Robertson wasn’t “jerked around.”

Dubas and Keefe brought him up too quickly without a structured plan for promotion. They hoped he would just click like Wyatt Johnston did for Dallas. I will criticize them for that.

But Robertson has never been ready to play a top six role and doesn’t deserve one on merit. He doesn’t know how to play the pro game and he’s been a slow, obstinate and egotistical player (go look up Haley Wickenheiser’s assessment and the way he talked back in fall 2022).

As far as cap related demotions and whatever. That’s what happens when you’re young. You make that money back and millions more if you’re an actual NHLer.

This kid sucks. Maybe he’ll show up the Leafs one day but I don’t respect a guy who doesn’t want to prove himself and carve out a spot for himself in training camp.

 

[Frostitute]

Ya know what??

I was big on Nicky Robb..Anxious even to see how he was going to do under Berube...But if he wants a trade...

Buh bye...

We don't need players who'd prefer to be elsewhere.

Don't even care what we get for him.

 

[GQS]

I wonder if Robertson ever talked with Berube to see if he couldn't get a bigger, more consistent role with the team next season so that he could get the chance to show what he's capable of? Would've been interesting to see if some of our younger players wouldn't do better under a new coach and get a bigger roel on the team than what Keefe gave them.

Also I wonder if more people wouldn't be sad to see him possibly go if he were the same size as Knies rather than being a small guy?

 

[Stephen]

Ya know what??

I was big on Nicky Robb..Anxious even to see how he was going to do under Berube...But if he wants a trade...

Buh bye...

We don't need players who'd prefer to be elsewhere.

Don't even care what we get for him.

Just let him go to Switzerland and build up his value while holding onto his rights. See how he likes to be really jerked around.

 

[Stephen]

I wonder if Robertson ever talked with Berube to see if he couldn't get a bigger, more consistent role with the team next season so that he could get the chance to show what he's capable of? Would've been interesting to see if some of our younger players wouldn't do better under a new coach and get a bigger roel on the team than what Keefe gave them.

Also I wonder if more people wouldn't be sad to see him possibly go if he were the same size as Knies rather than being a small guy?

The problem with Robertson over the years is he played like he was Matthew Knies size. Running into traffic, swarming the puck carrier, super aggressive and busy but completely clueless about the stealth game and getting open to use the shot.

 

[Contenderorpretender]

No need to move him. Let him sit. Wanna act like a child, you sit in the corner.