Report: Bertuzzi, Robertson don't plan to re-sign with Leafs
Maple Leafs pending unrestricted free agent Tyler Bertuzzi and pending restricted free agent Nick Robertson don't plan on re-signing with Toronto, reports TSN's Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston.
Bertuzzi had an up-and-down campaign in Toronto, amassing 21 goals and 43 points in 80 games.
He particularly struggled up until the All-Star break, registering just six goals and 20 points in 47 contests despite getting plenty of ice time with the Leafs' top forwards. The 29-year-old finished on a high note in the regular season, though, potting 15 tallies and 23 points in his last 33 games.
Bertuzzi put up four points in seven playoff games this spring as the Leafs were ousted from the first round by Boston. Last year, he pitched in with five goals and five helpers in seven postseason contests as a member of the Boston Bruins.
The Maple Leafs signed Bertuzzi to a one-year, $5.5-million contract as an unrestricted free agent last July. Dreger reports that he may land a four-year pact with a cap hit north of $5 million.
Toronto has around $12 million in cap space after signing Max Domi and Timothy Liljegren to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million and a two-year pact with a $3-million cap hit, respectively. The Leafs also acquired veteran defenseman Chris Tanev's rights from the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Robertson, meanwhile, has requested a trade, per Johnston.
The Leafs selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft and he enjoyed a 55-goal campaign with the OHL's Peterborough Petes the following season.
The 22-year-old was once considered Toronto's top prospect, but his NHL tenure thus far has been marred by injuries. He's had to contend with an ailing knee, torn adductor, broken fibula, and an injured shoulder that required surgery.
As a result, he appeared in a combined 35 NHL games (including four playoff outings) and 51 AHL contests between the 2020-21 season and the 2022-23 campaign.
Robertson was largely healthy in 2023-24 and he appeared in 56 regular-season games with the Leafs, totaling 14 goals and 27 points. However, as the only other waivers exempt forward aside from Matthew Knies, he wasn't a permanent fixture in the lineup as Toronto maneuvered its way around the salary cap.
He expressed frustration after the Maple Leafs sent him down to the AHL's Toronto Marlies in March.
"I understand it, but I'm not going to sit here and say I'm happy," he said, per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "I want to play, but I understand my contract situation. If it wasn't the way it was, maybe it would be a different situation, but it is what it is."
Robertson made his NHL debut in the 2020 playoff bubble against the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring his first goal in Game 3.