Penguins Listed as Frontrunner for Young Goal-Scoring Winger by Analyst
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been named a potential frontrunner for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson, per analyst Jacob Punturi of Sports Illustrated.
Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have missed the postseason for the last 3 years running, it's up to GM Kyle Dubas to not only navigate through what will be the final few years of Sidney Crosby but also what is expected to be the last year of Evgeni Malkin in the NHL.
The Penguins aren't expected to be a postseason contender this year, and have been dealing with multiple trade rumors amidst reports that Dubas is attempting to trade Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson.
One player that Dubas knows well from his days with the Toronto Maple Leafs is forward Nick Robertson, whom Toronto recently re-signed to a 1 year deal.
But Robertson is still a prime candidate to be moved by the Maple Leafs because of their salary cap situation, and Sports Illustrated analyst Jacob Punturi believes the Penguins could be interested because of the Dubas factor.
Their general manager Kyle Dubas knows Robertson very well from his days in Toronto. They have the cap space and lineup holes that would provide an intriguing opportunity for him. In need of more scoring help, Robertson would get the best chance of his NHL career to become a 20-goal scorer for the first time. The rebuilding Penguins are also likely to deal one of their veteran wingers this season, which could push him into Pittsburgh's top-six very soon.
Robertson had 22 points (15G, 7A) in 69 games with the Maple Leafs this year.
Elliotte Friedman believes Nick Robertson could be moved by the Maple Leafs
Earlier in the month, NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman speculated that the Maple Leafs still have lots more work to do in clearing out salary cap space.
The Maple Leafs have to clear some bodies there. I definitely think the Maple Leafs have work to do here. I don't know what their timeline is, but nobody expects them not to do things before puck drops, that's for sure.
The Maple Leafs, who traded Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nick Roy, barely have $2 million in available space.
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