The Toronto Maple Leafs and winger Nick Robertson are heading to salary arbitration, and if the two sides do not reach a settlement beforehand, the hearing, according to Puckpedia is scheduled for Sunday, August 3rd.
The 23-year-old forward reached career-highs in games played (69) and goals (15) last season, which was seventh on the club in scoring, while averaging just 12 minutes per game.
There continues to be speculation that Robertson may get moved after his salary for 2025-26 is locked in, but GM Brad Treliving indicated after the season that the diminutive winger has a great skill set. That is something that the Leafs might need to hold on to.
The NHL signing deadline for drafted prospects who played in the NCAA and completed their college careers is August 15, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a pair of youngsters who become unrestricted free agents.
Defenseman John Fusco and forward Wyatt Schingoethe were both seventh-rounders in the Maple Leafs infamous 2020 Draft, in which Toronto had a dozen picks, and none of them have played a single NHL game.
Fusco had 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 32 games in his senior season at Dartmouth, but at 5’10”, 190 lb., the Leafs under GM Brad Treliving are unlikely to offer the 24-year-old an NHL or AHL deal. Schingoethe, 22, won a National Championship with Western Michigan, but his career-high was 11 points in 31 games as a senior.
