Maple Leafs reportedly open to dealing 24-year-old winger

The fit between Nick Robertson and the Toronto Maple Leafs has just never seemed right.

As a second-round pick (53rd overall) back in 2019, expectations were pretty high for a player who lit up the scoresheet at the OHL and AHL levels. 

Maple Leafs fans and the organization were hoping that Robertson could push his way into the pros and make an impact on a team tight to the cap in need of young, cheap talent and production. 

While there've been some moments here and there, Robertson ultimately hasn't meshed as well as anyone had hoped in Toronto, and it appears that things could soon be coming to a head.

TSN insider Chris Johnston recently reported that the Maple Leafs are open to trading the 5'9", 178-pound winger, though there's no guarantee when it will happen. He shared the details during the latest episode of "The Chris Johnston Show."

"There’s some talk out there that the Leafs are open to moving Robertson around the league. Now, that’s not necessarily a new development, and he did ask for a trade publicly last summer. He hasn’t always been happy with his opportunity in Toronto... maybe there’s a window here. Teams start juggling their rosters through training camp and toward opening night, so maybe there’ll be an opportunity for them to move on from him or another player to create some breathing room," Johnston said.

"One thing in Toronto is the cupboards are relatively bare because they’ve been a trade-deadline buyer for season after season after season. I think they’re in a position to be open-minded about the return. It’s about getting what they deem to be fair value. But if it’s another young player, if it’s a draft pick, presumably it’s something they can use to potentially make future trades as well," Johnston added.

The 24-year-old signed a one-year, $1.825 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs in August and will be an RFA at season's end.

Robertson and the Maple Leafs need to part ways

It's in the best interest of both Nick Robertson and the Toronto Maple Leafs to move on from one another, and it feels overdue at this point.

As Johnston referred to, Robertson has previously requested a trade out of Toronto to no avail; however, this time it feels like it's bound to happen. 

Robertson's performance in training camp will play a big role in how much longer he remains a Maple Leaf, whether he proves to be deserving of a roster spot or expendable given the team's newfound depth.

The return won't be anything groundbreaking, but even just a change of scenery swap for a different young player would be beneficial for the team and the player in this situation.