Is it finally time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to give up on Nick Robertson?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are now four games into the 2025–26 season, and already, the yearly trade rumours for left winger Nicholas Robertson are swirling.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday that Leafs GM Brad Treliving has been talking with teams that have potential interest in Robertson.

“He’s pushing 160 NHL games. I know that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has recently talked with clubs that may have some interest in Nick Robertson,” Dreger said. “Given the depth that the Maple Leafs have, it’s a tough spot for Robertson. So maybe it’s time to give him a fresh start somewhere else.”

Indeed, as Dreger said, the Leafs have a ton of depth, and for a player like Robertson, who has put up just one point—an assist in the Leafs’ 7–4 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday—through the team’s first four games of the season, he is bound to get lost in the shuffle. This is especially clear when looking at the 24-year-old winger’s ice time, which has never exceeded 13:01 through the first four games.

So with this new set of trade rumours swirling, it begs the question: Is it finally time for the Leafs to give up on Robertson?

Robertson’s shaky Toronto tenure

The Leafs initially selected Robertson with the 53rd-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, although he didn’t play his first full NHL season until 2023–24. That season also happened to be his best thus far as a Leaf, putting up 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games. Last season, his games-played number went up to 69, but his point total dropped to 22, despite playing in 13 more games.

In the playoffs, Robertson has essentially been a non-factor for the Leafs, playing just 13 playoff games between 2020 and 2025 and putting up just three points in that span. Not exactly the kind of numbers that significantly help a team make real noise in the postseason.

Robertson’s time as a Leaf has been a true roller coaster. At times, the young forward has looked elite and like he could have a breakout year, but other times, he looks like he shouldn’t even be on an NHL rink, with sloppy play and an overall negative impact on the team. And with the Leafs’ championship window getting smaller by the year, a player like Robertson may not be ideal for their Stanley Cup aspirations.

Does Robertson want to be in Toronto?

As stated earlier, it has become a yearly tradition of either trade rumours surrounding Robertson or even rumours that he wants out of Toronto. In fact, in the summer of 2024, it was revealed that Robertson had requested a trade out of Toronto, and while he did end up signing a new one-year deal with the Leafs in September 2024 and another one-year deal this past summer, his overall commitment to the team is still rather up in the air.

While Robertson has not come out and explicitly said anything about wanting to play for another NHL team, it is apparent that he could be better utilized by another squad. Robertson has shown flashes of elite play in limited minutes, so perhaps a fresh start on a younger, rebuilding team could be what is best for Robertson. He could get vastly increased minutes, which could lead to more consistent play and higher point totals.

The bottom line

As it currently stands, Robertson has been playing on Toronto’s third line alongside Max Domi and Bobby McMann, and with guys like Matias Maccelli, Matthew Knies, William Nylander and Easton Cowan ahead of him in the pecking order, his chances of earning increased minutes look very slim.

This season would be an ideal time for the team to part ways with Robertson. He is still in his early twenties and could provide valuable support on a younger team in need of a skilled winger, and if the Leafs want any meaningful return in a Robertson trade, now might be the sweet spot. Best case, the Leafs can package Robertson with another lower-line guy or draft picks to get a more established and reliable second or third-line winger, and worst case, the team can get Robertson’s contract off the books in an attempt to have even more money to spend in this summer’s free agency period.