Former Maple Leafs 24-Year-Old Forward Reunites with Kyle Dubas on the 26-27 Penguins
On Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs reached an agreement on a trade to send forward Nicholas Robertson to the Steel City in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick. The 24-year-old left-winger rejoins Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, who drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft with the Leafs. Robertson has been a common name in the trade market for close to three years now, as he routinely missed out on opportunities. Robertson never found his rhythm with Toronto, had multiple healthy scratches, lacked the minutes he desired, and received trade requests frequently. His last two contracts have been one-year deals, and he comes to Pittsburgh as a restricted free agent with no contract currently signed.
Despite his lack of ice time, never having more than a 13-minute average, Robertson has strung together some decent seasons with the playing time he has had. In his past three seasons, the 24-year-old had 14, 15, and a career-best 16 goals, respectively. He also had his career-best in assists and points in 25-26, with 16 and 32, respectively. In his first full season in 23-24, Robertson had 27 points in 56 games. He’s not an all-out shooter like his brother Jason Robertson, but with Anthony Mantha, the Penguins' leading goal-scorer, likely to leave, a spot opens for the former second-rounder to earn his time on the third or fourth lines. The young forward will turn 25 in September, perfect for a Pittsburgh team that is trying to get younger at every position. Egor Chinakhov has shown what a change of scenery can do for a young and hopeful forward, as Chinakhov recorded 36 points in 43 games with the Penguins in 25-26, after only having six in the 29 games he played with Columbus. After reports floated that the Penguins were one of the teams interested in the brother, Jason Robertson, bringing in Nicholas via trade adds another confirmed and reliable goal-scorer.
How and where Robertson will be used is uncertain. As mentioned, Mantha is almost certainly not returning to the Steel City. Justin Brazeau had a fantastic first half to his season, then disappeared in the second half and even received multiple healthy scratches during the Penguins' playoff matchup. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have both been mentioned repeatedly in trade talks, dating back to March and just accelerating since the end of the season. That said, Pittsburgh also just dealt away Parker Wotherspoon to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Wotherspoon was arguably the Pens' best defenseman last season and played very well alongside Erik Karlsson. Nick Robertson could fit in like another Brazeau or Chinakhov and have a breakout season in Pittsburgh, or he could be used as trade bait as the Pens look to land a superstar. Dubas has done a remarkable job with player development and player transactions, and Robertson is in a prime position to be the next one.
