As the offseason progresses, the lack of news surrounding Nicholas Robertson seems puzzling. After requesting a trade earlier in the offseason, many fans thought a move would be made quickly to replace the 22-year-old forward. But that didn’t happen, and as we move closer to the start of the season, the chances of a trade actually happening seem to be shrinking.
So let’s take a peek into Robertson’s game, and see what he can do for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, if he’s still on the roster.
A chance to cement himself
Assuming Robertson is a part of the Leafs for 2024–25, his role could be quite a big one. With the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi in particular, there’s a glaring hole in the top nine waiting for someone to fill it. Of anyone on the roster bubble, Robertson seems the likeliest candidate to grab hold of that spot.
Simply put, there’s no one fighting for a chance that can score like Robertson. And for a team begging for some secondary scoring, especially in the postseason, Robertson could be part of the solution (even though he put up zeros in six playoff games last season).
Guys like Alex Steeves and Ryan Reaves, who will be battling for playing time as well, do not put the puck in the net like Robertson. In fact, not many guys in the league do. He trailed only Auston Matthews on the Leafs last year in goals per 60 minutes, and tucked a career-high 14 in 56 games while seeing very limited ice time.
If Robertson can grow just a bit defensively, and prove to be a little bit more reliable, he could end up with a 20-goal season easily. Secondary scoring is always an issue in Toronto, and giving Robertson a shot is worth the risk.
Stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 62 | 15 | 18 | 33 |
| 2018–19 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 54 | 27 | 28 | 55 |
| 2019–20 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 46 | 55 | 31 | 86 |
| 2020–21 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 21 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| 2020–21 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 28 | 16 | 12 | 28 |
| 2021–22 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022–23 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2022–23 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2023–24 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 9 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 2023–24 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 56 | 14 | 13 | 27 |
Robertson has scored everywhere he’s played. His shot is electric, he knows where to be, and he loves to put the puck in the net.
His 55 goals in 46 games in 2019–20 got Leaf Nation probably a bit too excited, but Robertson has the scoring ability to be at least a 25–30-goal guy in the NHL given the right opportunity.
At this point, he’s probably too good for the AHL, easily able to score over a point per game while scoring a ton of goals. But he hasn’t been able to put it all together in the NHL, despite his 27 points in 56 games last year.
If you just look at his stats, you’d think Robertson would be a lock for the opening night roster in 2024–25, but that’s simply not the case. His issues arise off the scoresheet, as he’s unable to play well enough defensively or carve out a role that fits his playstyle on a team full of top-end scorers.
Profile
Robertson’s game is very simple. He puts the puck in the net.
He knows how to get open on the rush and within the cycle, is always ready to shoot (sometimes to his detriment), and has the release to beat goalies clean consistently. Scoring is his calling, and he’ll be able to score wherever he goes.
But his game is very one-dimensional. Yes, scoring is the hardest thing to do in hockey and is obviously important, but there’s a reason Robertson hasn’t cemented himself as an everyday NHLer yet.
Due to his size, and lack of general defensive awareness, Robertson is a liability in his own end. There’s not much he can do to win puck battles or force turnovers, and he seems to just skate around trying to do too much a lot of the time.
It’s the same story on the forecheck, where Robertson always gives 100%, but has a really hard time actually making an impact. His 5’9” frame holds him back, and he’ll need to work hard to improve his stick work to become a formidable forechecker.
It’s hard to fault a guy for trying too hard, but it feels like Robertson is constantly fighting to prove himself, treating every play like his career depends on it. And without elite edges, it’s hard to stop and start with so much momentum flying around.
But even if he becomes just an average defender, he’ll be a very valuable player. Not many guys can score over 1.3 goals per 60 minutes in the NHL, and Robertson is one of them.
Fit
His fit within the roster is Robertson’s biggest hurdle. On a lot of teams, especially weaker ones, he’d be a top-six producer, playing with highly skilled forwards on lines where the goal is to score.
In Toronto, those spots aren’t really up for grabs. Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Max Domi or Matthew Knies make up the top two lines. Unless Robertson can overtake Domi or Knies on the depth chart—which is extremely unlikely—he doesn’t have a spot in the top six.
This means his role is part of a checking or defensive line, which is quite literally the last place he wants to be. He’s not good defensively, he’s too small, and he just hasn’t proved himself reliable at all.
His trade request doesn’t come as a surprise, as Robertson certainly sees himself as part of a high-flying, scoring line, not a checking line with David Kampf or Connor Dewar.
All that being said, Craig Berube has a history of giving young guys, like Robert Thomas in St. Louis, ample opportunity to play. After all, there’s no way for Robertson to prove himself if he’s not given a chance to.
And the Leafs may be set up to form a more offensively driven third line than in years past, with a much better defensive core with newly added Chris Tanev, as well as better goaltending with Joseph Woll and new stud backup Anthony Stolarz.
Maybe a line with Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and Knies or Domi gets a shot. That’s a group that would need to be heavily sheltered, but that could also score a good chunk of goals for the Leafs.
This year is definitely make-or-break for Robertson, as he’ll need to prove he fits somewhere on the roster. But even if he doesn’t fit in Toronto, he’ll fit somewhere else. This team just isn’t built for a guy like Robertson to carve out a role. At least not yet.
