Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Adding $25 Million Player From Red Wings

The Toronto Maple Leafs have focused on defense and a trade pitch helps them solidify the blue line even more.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Jeff Petry from the Detroit Red Wings.

Maple Leafs acquire:

• Jeff Petry
• 2025 second-round pick

Red Wings acquire: 

• Nick Robertson
• Timothy Liljegren

The proposed deal would be an intriguing one as Toronto gets Petry who is a proven solid NHL defenseman as well as a second-round pick which the Maple Leafs could use for trade ammo. Detroit, meanwhile, gets two young NHL players to help along with their young core.

Petry is entering the final year of his four-year $25 million deal. He would projected to be Toronto’s second-pairing right-shot defenseman, who adds more experience to the blue line. Petry skated in 73 games recording 3 goals and 21 assists for 24 points. In his NHL career, Petry has played in 937 games recording 95 goals and 282 assists for 377 points.

Robertson, meanwhile, is an RFA and is unsigned. He has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs and he could be a middle-six forward for Detroit. In his brief NHL career, Robertson has skated in 87 games recording 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points.

Liljegren, meanwhile, was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft but has struggled to stay in the Maple Leafs lineup. He could replace Petry on the Red Wings’ second-pairing and fits the young core better than Petry does.

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Robertson Remains Adamant on Not Re-Signing With Maple Leafs

Ahead of free agency on July 1, NHL insider Chris Johnston reported that Robertson informed the Maple Leafs he has no plans to re-sign and requested a trade.

Speaking on TSN’s OverDrive on August 26, Johnston confirmed Robertson has made his stance clear and still has no plans on re-signing.

“It’s kind of at a standstill right now,” Johnston said. “My understanding is Nick Robertson’s desire to move on hasn’t changed, but the fact remains he’s a restricted free agent, he only has so many rights. Especially if he doesn’t want to sign a contract and the organization decides not to move him, really all he could do is miss time and try to put pressure on the team, that way. But obviously it comes at a cost to him, both in terms of getting up to speed in training camp and potentially playing games, and obviously a financial cost.”

Johnston went on to say he believes Robertson thinks the relationship is fractured beyond repair and wants a fresh start somewhere else.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving, however, has made it clear that he thinks Robertson will play an important role for Toronto this season.

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Red Wings Building Young Core

The proposed deal would see the Red Wings acquire two young players to help along with their core.

Detroit is a fringe playoff team but is built around their young core of Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has said his goal is to build a young core that can compete for Stanley Cups for multiple years.

“Ultimately we’re still trying to put together that core of young guys who are going to be together and start to creep into the playoffs. Hang around in the playoffs then eventually win,” Yzerman said. “That is the long-term plan. We’ll stick with that. We try to surround these young players with good people and better hockey players to help them become better players and slowly inch forward.”

Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.

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