Training camp is a go and that means we get our first looks at potential line combinations and where players are slotting in. The first Leafs preseason game occurred Sunday night against the Ottawa Senators. Since it was a home game, we got to see most of the big names, including the new lineup with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares down the middle.
Absent form the lineup was Nicholas Robertson.
We are starting to see what new head coach Craig Berube and his staff are trying to do. And the coaching staff has a ton of options.
Max Pacioretty had a great pre-season start with the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals. He was also featured on the top powerplay unit. Elliotte Friedman made sure to note that this is a PTO with an agreement of contract already, so he’s going to play for the Leafs this season:
Nikita Grebenkin also made some noise as a hard-nosed player in the first preseason game. He could factor on the Leafs third or fourth line.
Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving noted that the competition in camp is going to be heavy. He doesn’t care about a player’s previous situation. You have to play well to earn a spot. If we quickly mock up a forward lineup based on the first preseason games lineup, it could look something like this:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Nylander – Jarnkrok
Pacioretty – Tavares – McMann
Dewar – Kampf – Reaves
Lorentz (PTO) – Holmberg – Grebenkin – Robertson
The Robertson relationship already has a strain, could this be the end?
That’s a lot of bodies competing for spots at forward. After the first preseason game, Pacioretty and Grebenkin’s stocks are only going up. It doesn’t make sense to play Robertson on the fourth line. That’s better suited for guys like Dewar and Lorentz – if Lorentz is signed to a contract.
It’s still incredibly early in pre-season. Robertson hasn’t even played a game yet. But, others competing for his spots have already had impressive showings. One way Robertson could get a shot is if Jarnkrok is demoted to the fourth line and Robertson takes his place. Jarnkrok is a strong defensive player, so this could make some sense.
Would Robertson be claimed on waivers? It doesn’t make sense to have him sitting in the press box during his developmental years. Trade interest reportedly wasn’t very high when Robertson requested a trade this summer.
This will be an interesting situation to watch. In fact, it’ll be one of the biggest storylines to watch as preseason continues. In a make-or-break year, the pressure is on for Robertson.
