The Toronto Maple Leafs have a major question in terms of the future of Nick Robertson. The forward has asked for a trade and one trade pitch sees Toronto parting ways with him to re-acquire Noel Acciari from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs re-acquire Acciari.
Maple Leafs get: Noel Acciari, 2027 fourth-round pick (Ranger’s)
Penguins get: Nick Robertson, 2027 sixth-round pick
On paper, the proposed deal does make some sense as Toronto fulfills Robertson’s trade request while the Maple Leafs re-acquire Acciari. Toronto also gets the better of the draft picks as Robertson is the younger, better forward.
Acciari is entering the second year of his three-year $6 million deal with the Penguins. Last season, Acciari recorded 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points in 55 games. His career-high in goals came in the 2019-20 season when he had 20.
Robertson, meanwhile, has grown frustrated with his role with Toronto and asked for a trade as he is an RFA. The former second-round pick skated in just 56 games recording 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points.
Robertson Asks for Trade From Maple Leafs
Robertson was drafted with the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the Maple Leafs. He didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2020-21 season and since then, he has bounced between the NHL and AHL.
When Robertson has been in the NHL, he hasn’t been given a major role which is why he has told the team he won’t re-sign and has asked for a trade.
However, despite Robertson asking for a trade, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said he expects the forward to be a big part of the roster.
“I have certainly known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” Treliving said. “There is a great opportunity for Nick here. We need him to be a good player for us. I am not going to get into any speculation or public back-and-forth. We will just leave it at that and continue to move forward.”
Before asking for a trade, Robertson did a Q&A back in April and revealed he had yet to start any real negotiation with the team.
“No. Nothing major. It’s my first [negotiation]. I can’t say I’m worried about it now; I don’t even know how this process works. But I haven’t heard anything. I just play. It’s kind of nice knowing that (my agent will deal with it), though. I want to play and let him worry about that,” Robertson said to Sportsnet in a Q&A published on April 11.
Robertson has skated in 87 NHL games recording 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points.
Acciari’s Time With Toronto
Acciari played 23 regular season games and 11 playoff games with the Maple Leafs in the 2022-23 NHL season.
On February 17, 2023, Acciari along with Ryan O’Reilly were traded by the St. Louis Blues to the Maple Leafs. Acciari was set to bring some depth to the bottom of the lineup as he was a penalty killer and a physical player.
In 23 regular season games with Toronto, Acciari recorded 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points, while he added 2 goals in 11 playoff games.
After his brief stint with the Maple Leafs, Acciari signed the three-year $6 million deal with the Penguins.
Acciari has skated in 439 NHL games recording 63 goals and 44 assists for 107 points.
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