"Nick Robertson has been an 'almost' trade candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs for a couple of years now. It's a frustrating situation for all parties, because when you watch Robertson play, his skillset is something the Leafs desperately need. A young, affordable, homegrown goal-scorer is the type of thing that keeps contenders going, especially after said contender loses a star offensive player."
"Despite this, Robertson hasn't been able to show the consistency the team needs to consider him a part of their future. This is his third season in a row where the Maple Leafs are giving him an extended leash to stick on the roster, and while 14 goals in 56 games two years ago and 15 goals in 69 games last season isn't anything to turn your back on,"
"Meanwhile, on the other side of Lake Erie, the Columbus Blue Jackets are having a similar predicament with a rookie of theirs. 2020 first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov has displayed goal-scoring prowess at the NHL level, but like Robertson, he hasn't strung enough of it together to earn the full trust of his head coach. Two years ago, he scored 16 goals en route to 29 points in 53 games."
Nick Robertson remains an 'almost' trade candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs despite clear goal-scoring talent and affordability. Robertson has shown intermittent scoring—14 goals in 56 games two seasons ago and 15 in 69 last season—but has struggled with consistency and scoring droughts. The 2025-26 season has started slowly with one goal and two points in eight games, and prospect Easton Cowan adds depth-chart pressure. Columbus faces a similar situation with 2020 first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov, who produced 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games two years ago but has not yet earned full coaching trust. Both players have requested trades, with Robertson previously rescinding a request after a team denial.
Read at TheLeafsNation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]