Nick Robertson’s next chapter is set, and it comes with some long-awaited stability.
The former Maple Leafs forward has agreed to a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth $6.5 million, or $3.25 million annually, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal was reached after Robertson, a restricted free agent, filed for salary arbitration and only days before his July 28 hearing was scheduled.
Robertson’s move to Pittsburgh came on July 1, when Toronto traded him after he had spent his entire NHL career with the Maple Leafs. The Penguins now get a 24-year-old winger who brings NHL experience, some scoring touch and a chance to fit into a middle-six role.
That’s a meaningful outcome for a player whose path in Toronto was anything but smooth. Robertson entered the league as a highly regarded second-round pick in 2019, going 53rd overall after being drafted out of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.
The Pasadena, California native arrived with a reputation for speed and skill, but his early NHL opportunities were repeatedly interrupted by injuries and the Leafs’ crowded forward depth. That sent him back to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for extended stretches in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
He kept pushing, and eventually started to turn that promise into real production. Over 234 NHL games, all with Toronto, Robertson scored 48 goals and finished with 88 points. His 2025-26 season was his most complete yet, as he played 78 games and posted 16 goals and 32 points while settling into a more regular role.
That kind of output made him a natural arbitration case after he earned $1.825 million in 2025-26. But Toronto’s cap and roster situation pushed the situation in another direction, and the Leafs dealt him to Pittsburgh on the first day of free agency. The trade gave Toronto flexibility and opened a roster spot, while Pittsburgh added a young forward with upside and NHL mileage, and reunited him with former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.
For the Penguins, the timing matters as much as the player. Robertson arrives as part of a forward group that needs secondary scoring and energy, and the new contract lets Pittsburgh avoid the uncertainty of an arbitration hearing while locking him in at a number that matches his recent work. The agreement runs through the 2027-28 season, leaving Robertson one more year away from unrestricted free agency when it expires.
For a player who once embodied the frustrations around Toronto’s prospect pipeline, this deal is a clear reset. Robertson has shown he can produce when he gets steady opportunity, and now he gets to try again in Pittsburgh with a fresh start and the security of a two-year pact.
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