It appears as though the Toronto Maple Leafs have a future star in their system.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have had the steal of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft when they used their second-round pick, 53rd overall, to select Nick Robertson.
This week Roberston scored his 50th goal of the season in just his 43rd game.
There’s a lot to like about Robertson’s game. His team, the Peterborough Petes, must love that he has scored 51 goals this season.
Robertson eclipsed the 50 goal mark on March 1 in dramatic fashion.
Toronto Maple Leafs Top Prospect
Robertson picked up his 50th by scoring a hat trick against the Barrie Colts. Having already scored his 48th and 49th goal earlier in the night, Robertson was out for a Petes’ penalty kill when he stripped the puck off an opponent to create his own breakaway and beat Colts goaltender Jet Greaves’ five-hole.
https://twitter.com/PetesOHLhockey/status/1234224279216173056
Now in his third year with the Petes, Robertson is the first person in 27 years to pot 50 goals for the franchise. Though 13 other players have hit the mark in the club’s history, Robertson did it in the fewest number of games, just 43.
The Petes got Robertson in the first round of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection at 16th overall.
They were impressed by his minor hockey production. In his minor midget year in the GTHL, he picked up 18 goals and 18 assists in 32 games with the Toronto Red Wings.
Robertson has come a long way in a very short time. Last season with the Petes, in 54 games, he recorded 27 goals and 38 assists for a total of 55 points. Each year in the league, the 5’9″ left-winger has managed to improve his numbers.
Robertson also made USA’s World Junior Championships team this year. He managed to impress in the Czech Republic with some of the most incredible plays in the tournament. He finished the WJHC with two goals and three assists for five points in five games.
Nick Robertson’s Future
With a strong season in the books, attention will be paid to Robertson at next year’s Toronto Maple Leafs training camp.
There probably isn’t anything left for him to accomplish in junior, and he will be too young to play in the AHL, creating a possibly unfortunate situation if he isn’t able to jump directly to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Having him in the lineup would mean that the Leafs would get some cap relief thanks to Robertson playing on just an entry-level contract.
Currently on the books, the Leafs have only two left-wingers signed beyond the end of this season. They are Zach Hyman and Andreas Johnsson. Though Pierre Engvall, Alex Kerfoot and William Nylander have all seen time at left wing this year. Ilya Mikheyev is a restricted free agent but should be back with the team next year as well.
This creates a serious log jam at Robertson’s position, meaning it would be a long shot to expect him to play in the NHL next year.
For those who have never seen Robertson play, they should make sure to catch one of Peterborough’s games. They’re in for a treat.