The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Nick Robertson have successfully avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.825 million contract for the upcoming season. The agreement was reached just ahead of their scheduled arbitration hearing on August 3rd.

Robertson, 23, was seeking $2.25 million, while the Maple Leafs initially offered $1.2 million. The final agreement represents a compromise between the two figures.

The young forward is coming off a season where he scored a career-high 15 goals in 69 games for Toronto. He also contributed one goal and one assist in three playoff games. Over five seasons with the Leafs, Robertson has accumulated 32 goals and 24 assists in 156 NHL games.

This marks the third consecutive season where the Maple Leafs have had a player elect for arbitration, following Ilya Samsonov in 2023 and Connor Dewar in 2024. However, only Samsonov proceeded through the entire hearing, with the Leafs reaching agreements with Dewar and Robertson beforehand.

With this signing, the Maple Leafs have approximately $1.1 million in cap space and 15 forwards under contract. This surplus of forwards may lead to potential trades, with players like David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok possibly on the move.

Robertson's long-term future with the Maple Leafs remains uncertain despite the new contract. He had previously requested a trade last summer before signing a one-year extension. Although he made the NHL roster out of training camp, he struggled to secure a consistent role in the lineup and saw limited playoff action.