The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone through a major overhaul this season, which means a number of key players from last season have departed.
One of those key players from the 2025-26 season that has left is none other than 24-year-old Nicholas Robertson. The former 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft was one of the Maple Leafs’ better players last season, scoring 16 goals and racking up 16 assists on the way to a career-high 32-point season. Robertson ranked sixth on the team in goals.
However, Robertson has since departed, signing a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this month. Robertson recently made an appearance on TSN’s Overdrive and detailed his thought process now that he’s signed with the Penguins.
“It’s been great to get the deal gone, and not go to arbitration is nice. I’m just excited for this new opportunity in Pittsburgh, it’s a fresh start, I’m pumped,” Robertson said. “It was a really big focus for me to get some term and to settle in, and give me time to get some runway in Pittsburgh. I’m happy the way it turned out, and I’m really excited.”
Nicholas Robertson One of Many Key Maple Leafs Departures
Robertson originally debuted during the Maple Leafs’ playoff run in 2020 and was a key member of the team since the 2023-24 season. However, the opportunity to grow into a top six role was limited considering he played on a stacked offensive team as a left winger.
The Maple Leafs had a down season last year, missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade and finishing with the second-least number of points in the Eastern Conference.
A number of key members from last season’s team have either left or been traded outside of Robertson, including goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit.
Although the Leafs disappointed last year, Robertson still had positive things to say about his former coach Craig Berube and his experience in Toronto.
“Toronto, we had such a talented team, I would get in the mix with some players. I had to be on my game all the time, whether that was with (Craig Berube) or (Sheldon Keefe) in my first full year. But I think it’s always a blessing in disguise because you can’t get complacent. Whether you’re up and down the lineup, you got to work your way to either get up in the lineup or to stay there.”
Maple Leafs Make Major Moves This Offseason Under John Chayka
Under new general manager John Chayka, the Leafs have shaked things up, making major acquisitions this offseason. They’ve signed two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star defenseman Darren Raddysh and drafted the next offensive phenom Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
It’s all a concerted effort to get the Maple Leafs back into contention. They’re only a year removed from pushing the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to seven games.
They’ll obviously have to do that without one of their key offensive players in recent years with Robertson jumping to the Penguins where he’ll likely be aiming for a higher offensive output.
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