The Nick Robertson experiment in Toronto finally came to an end on Wednesday.

After years of Robertson battling injuries and inconsistency, but still showing enough promise and potential to continue taking chances on him, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. He’ll be reuniting with former general manager Kyle Dubas, who originally selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft.

It’s an unfortunate ending to Robertson’s tenure in Toronto, but one that was pretty obviously going to happen at some point. Between the aforementioned injuries and inconsistency, Robertson had requested a trade more than once during the past couple of years, and there was clearly a little bit of a disgruntled vibe that had built up over time. He struggled to find regular playing time under head coach Sheldon Keefe, and while he set career highs and played his first full seasons under Craig Berube, he still found himself on the bench every now and then and his stretches without producing kept him from earning a spot in the top six.

Nevertheless, the Robertson move is one that directly lines up with Dubas’ tendencies and it was probably a gamble that he’s thrilled to be taking. The California native’s goal per/60 (G/60) in 2025-26 was 0.95, sitting just a hair under a goal per 60, indicating that there’s more in the tank than his 16-goal career high that he set last season. His qualifying offer was $1.8 million, and it seemed to be a virtual guarantee that he would reject that offer given his desire for term on his next deal.

On the Maple Leafs’ end, a fourth-round pick is underwhelming value considering where they originally selected him, but the added cap space from what he may have asked for and the potential for other moves today could quickly overshadow the value the Leafs received on paper. In the end, it’s another spot on their roster to fill, and the Penguins will bank on Robertson recording his first 20-goal season under a familiar boss.