In December, the Edmonton Oilers granted young defenseman Philip Broberg the opportunity to speak with other teams around the NHL in hopes of facilitating a trade. Broberg has struggled to earn a full-time job on the Oilers and hasn’t stood out at either end of the ice when he’s been given the chance. He now finds himself playing with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) and will likely remain there until the Oilers grant his trade request.
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Then there’s the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Nick Robertson. Robertson hasn’t requested a trade or made any indication that he is unhappy with the organization and seems fine working with the team to continue his progress regardless of the number of times he’s been a healthy scratch. He was a top prospect for the Maple Leafs but some injury issues along with some confidence issues have hindered his development, and some think it may be time for the team to move on from that project.
Who Are Nick Robertson & Philip Broberg?
Robertson is a 22-year-old left-shot forward from Arcadia, California. He was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 53rd overall, by the Maple Leafs after a strong season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes, where he scored 27 goals and added 28 assists through 54 games. He returned to the Petes for the next season and put up 55 goals and 31 assists through 46 games as the team’s assistant captain.
Robertson earned his first taste of NHL action in the 2020-21 season, tallying one assist through six games. Since that season, he has bounced between the NHL and AHL, and even when healthy, hasn’t been able to find a steady role at the NHL level. In 24 games with the Maple Leafs this season, Robertson has five goals and six assists, a career-high, but he continues to be scratched from the lineup.
Broberg is a left-shot defenseman from Örebro, Sweden, playing for the Condors in the AHL but remains in the Oilers’ organization. He was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 8th overall, by the Oilers, which at the time was met with concern, given that forwards Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield, who have become stars, were ahead of him. Broberg came over from Sweden in the 2021-22 season and has bounced between the AHL and NHL since then, trying to find a home.
Before being sent to the AHL this season, Broberg played in just 10 games and had no points. His defensive game was all right, but he had confidence issues, which led to his demotion. With the Condors this season, Broberg has one goal and six assists through 15 games. He has been playing more minutes and seems to be finding his confidence again, but his time in Edmonton is likely over.
While both players happen to be in different situations, it would make sense to swap them. They would both be getting a fresh start, and they would both likely be getting more opportunities, as the Maple Leafs have been struggling with their defensive depth, and the Oilers have lacked consistency from their depth forwards this season. A trade between the two would make perfect sense and would be a similar type of move to the Klim Kostin for Dmitri Samorukov trade the Oilers made last season, which benefited Edmonton more but was still a fresh start for both players.
Is a Broberg for Robertson Trade Likely?
By no means is this a blockbuster move that would make either considerably better, but it would give them both the opportunity for a new project. The Oilers and Maple Leafs will be contenders in the postseason and have a chance at bringing home the Stanley Cup, so a swap like this wouldn’t hurt. It is a low-risk, high-reward move for both teams.
If this move were to be made, It would be an even deal that fills a need on each team. If not, I expect both teams to be very active before the trade deadline to improve their rosters, but a move like this isn’t impossible.