- Penguins acquire winger Nick Robertson from the Maple Leafs
- Toronto receives a fourth-round pick in the deal
- Read below for how Robertson reunites with Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh
Nick Robertson finally got his change of scenery.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are acquiring the 24-year-old winger from the Toronto Maple Leafs, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Wednesday morning.
Here’s LeBrun breaking the news:
Chris Johnston filled in the terms a few minutes later. Toronto lands a fourth-round pick for a player it drafted in the second round back in 2019.
A Robertson trade has felt inevitable for a while. He put up 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games last season, but the Leafs never carved out a top-six spot for him with the talent they had up front.
Over the last three years, Robertson scored 45 goals and 81 points across 203 games. On a full 82-game workload, that pace sits right around 20 goals a season.
This deal reunites Robertson with Kyle Dubas. Pittsburgh’s president of hockey operations ran Toronto’s front office when the Leafs took him in the second round in 2019.
In Pittsburgh, he should get the runway he never had in Toronto. A look next to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin would give him a real shot at that 20-goal season if he stays healthy.
Robertson is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, coming off a one-year, $1.825 million deal. His age fits Pittsburgh’s timeline, and Dubas has room to work out a number that suits both sides.
The other Robertson trade watch stays open, too. Jason Robertson, Nick’s older brother, spent June at the center of the offseason’s biggest trade saga in Dallas after turning down a monster offer from Seattle.
Nick Robertson gets his fresh start with the GM who believed in him first.
