Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas may be sending an offer sheet the Toronto Maple Leafs way

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James Connelly
August 25, 2024 (2:26 PM)

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Kyle Dubas is notorious in Toronto for stealing players and personnel he liked from Toronto and bringing them to Pittsburgh and he may be considering an offer sheet.

It is no secret that Kyle Dubas is a big fan of the personnel he met in Toronto and even some of the players. Since becoming the Pittsburgh Penguins GM, Dubas has made moves to bring in guys like Jason Spezza and Wes Clarke from the Toronto Maple Leafs and even made a move to trade for Michael Bunting from the Carolina Hurricanes, another former Maple Leaf.

A recent rumor has been circulating indicating that the Penguins may be tendering an offer sheet to Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free agent Nick Robertson in a move similar to what the St. Louis Blues did to the Edmonton Oilers to bring in Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

"Rumors indicate the Penguins are contemplating a one-year, $2.1 million offer sheet for Robertson. This strategic move could put the Leafs in a difficult position, as they are currently pressed tightly against the NHL salary cap. Matching such an offer sheet would require significant financial maneuvering for Toronto."

This offer sheet would certainly throw a wrench into Toronto's offseason as it would mean that Dubas would be forcing the Maple Leafs to give Robertson $2.1 million or to let him go only for a third-round pick in compensation.

Nick Robertson was once one of the more highly touted prospects in the NHL but injury struggles have held him back from realizing his true potential. Despite this, he has played in parts of four seasons with the Maple Leafs. At the AHL level, Robertson has nothing left to prove scoring at over a point per game rate in the league over the past three seasons. However, in the NHL, Robertson has played in only 81 total NHL games over the last three years scoring 33 points along the way.

In Pittsburgh, he would get far more opportunity and could prove to be one of the better players in the NHL in their top six playing alongside potentially Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

Only time will tell if Robertson will be signing an offer sheet but this will certainly be a story to watch out for moving forward.

Source for Nick Robertson's statistics: Elite Prospects
Nick Robertson's Elite Prospects profile