While browsing the web this afternoon, a trade scenario involving the Pittsburgh Penguins and two other teams caught my attention.
The proposal focuses on acquiring Toronto's left winger Nicholas Robertson by making two separate trades. One of these is a cap space creator and draft capital addition.
This approach aligns with the Pittsburgh Penguins' goal of getting younger rather than trading for older veterans who might be just past their prime.
Why would the Penguins want to bother making such a trade? Besides the fact that they did almost nothing to address their top six this offseason, adding a young player like Robertson could address that.
Limited by Toronto's roster depth, Robertson has shown promise. His 2023-24 season was his best yet, tallying 14 goals, 13 assists, and 27 points in just 56 games.
Creating cap space and improving draft capital
The Penguins need to create cap space to facilitate this trade, as they currently have just over $1 million available. Not much room to play with.
In this scenario, Lars Eller would be moved to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for draft picks.
Buffalo could benefit from adding Eller to their lineup, and the cap space created, along with the draft picks Pittsburgh receives, makes this a realistic move by Penguins GM Kyle Dubas.
This moves allows the next trade to go down smoothly.
Trading for Nicholas Robertson and much more
This is where the trade scenario becomes most intriguing.
Acquiring Robertson from Toronto would quickly address uncertainty in the Penguins' top six, adding competition to the roster and infusing youth—all in one move.
The trade also includes center David Kampf, who could fit seamlessly into the Penguins' fourth line, either at center or left wing.
In addition, the Penguins would send Noel Acciari back to Toronto and a 2027 4th-round pick, acquired from the Rangers, swapping it for Toronto's 2027 3rd-round pick.
The projected contract for the Robertson trade scenario is $1,250,000 per for 2 years. While this might seem a bit extreme, crazier things have happened—just look at what the Blues did to the Oilers this August.
Now, I know what you are all thinking...
Why not just do offer sheets for Nicholas Robertson?
The answer is that they could.
By clearing cap space through moving players, the Penguins could easily offer sheet Robertson in the $1.51-2.29 million range, which falls within the third-round draft pick compensation tier—right in line with his value.
The Penguins now have three third-round picks in 2025.
— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) August 13, 2024
The offer sheet cost to land Nicholas Robertson is likely a third-round pick (valued between $1.51-2.29 million).
Just... saying. https://t.co/U4FS7d5J15
However, offer sheets are rare in today’s NHL, despite the recent moves by the Blues to secure Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
It’s unlikely that GM Kyle Dubas would make such a move against his former team, though it’s not entirely out of the question.
Regardless of the method—whether through a trade like this one or something similar—pursuing Robertson would be a smart move for the Penguins’ top six. He could even fit perfectly on Crosby’s line.
Who says no?