According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson still isn’t interested in agreeing to terms on a new contract and wants out of Toronto. Frankly, the restricted free-agent forward doesn’t appear to be making a smart business decision and is wasting a golden opportunity for next season.
Robertson has been one of the many topics of the offseason after Johnston first reported shortly after free agency opened that the player wasn’t interested in signing a new deal with the Leafs and preferred a change of scenery. Two months later, Robertson is still standing firm and wants out. If it’s strictly a hockey decision, it’s the wrong one.
Robertson has a prime opportunity with the Maple Leafs next season. The team showed head coach Sheldon Keefe the door, which should have been a move that would appear beneficial for the young winger. Keefe didn’t trust Robertson defensively. Often, Keefe would sit Robertson in high-leverage situations or after he’d go dry for a couple of games offensively, send him down to the American Hockey League. Every time Robertson was recalled, he produced immediately offensively. Even with Keefe longer in the picture, it’s not a situation he’s interested in.
With Craig Berube behind the bench now in Toronto, Robertson had a chance to show up to training camp with a clean slate. Berube is intense and expects a lot out of his players, but this is actually where Robertson could have really stood out. Berube wants to outwork teams each and every night and while he wants his team to be tough to play against, he’s not expecting every player on the roster to be willing to drive players through the boards. Win battles, be on the right side of the puck, and take advantage of your opportunities. Robertson is known for his speed, work ethic, and bull-dog mentality for a player that is only 5-foot-9. Instead of perhaps becoming a favourite of Berube’s with his work ethic, Robertson is letting his biggest opportunity yet just slide by the wayside.
Looking ahead at the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs are thin on the wing. Matthew Knies is a lock for first-line left-wing, and while Bobby McMann will certainly make his case at training camp, Robertson had a chance to battle for top-six minutes next season. If he performed well at camp and into the preseason, there’s a very good chance he would have found himself playing alongside John Tavares and William Nylander on Toronto’s second line. He’d also be a candidate for the second power play. Top-six minutes and power-play time on a Stanley Cup contending team isn’t a situation a soon-to-be 23-year-old forward craves?
Depending on where Robertson gets dealt, it’s very unlikely he’d be playing alongside two players as talented as Tavares and Nylander. And while obviously the lineup isn’t set in stone, if it isn’t Tavares, it’s likely Max Domi down the middle. Someone who showed great chemistry last season as a pass-first option for the shoot-first winger.
Robertson’s dealt with some bad injury luck throughout his tenure with the Maple Leafs and he’s been crunched in a numbers games a few times thanks to the Leafs being tight to the salary cap. Yes, there’s been some tough moments where he had to swallow his pride and head back down to the AHL, but that wasn’t going to be the case this season in Toronto. The Maple Leafs have other options for cap casualties and Robertson wasn’t likely a bubble player heading into camp. To me, he was a lock to play significant minutes and it’s very surprising his representatives can’t see the picture right in front of their faces and do their best to convince him to give the Leafs another shot.
Nevertheless, it appears Robertson is sticking to his guns on his request, which from a hockey-based perspective is head scratching. He had a golden opportunity to play a significant minutes for the Leafs and a chance to build a strong, lasting relationship with his new head coach. Instead, it appears he’s willing to roll the dice with another organization. Let’s just hope he avoids snake eyes in his new threads.
