Nick Robertson #1
How many players, let alone second rounders, play in the NHL playoffs and score a goal before they are 19? Not many, that is for sure.
Nick Robertson was the youngest player in last year’s draft, and if he’d been born a few days later, he’d have gone in the top ten of this year’s draft after a 55 goal (in 46 games) performance in the OHL this year.
It is worth noting that every single player who ever scored more than a goal per game as an 18-year-old (who didn’t turn 19 in the middle of the season) in the OHL has gone on to have a 40 goal NHL season. As a probable 40 goal scorer, Nick Robertson easily takes the top spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect chart.
No team with Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Rielly on it has any business with a prospect like this, so full credit to Kyle Dubas. In fact, Robertson’s rise helped give the Leafs a ton of cap flexibility because with him available for the league minimum, there was no need to keep Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen around.
Maybe if Robertson doesn’t explode, the Leafs can trade one of them, but certainly not both. With no need to embarrass OHL goalies further, and no other options, Robertson will likely find himself skating with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
At 5v5 in the playoffs he wasn’t great (although his numbers skyrocketed without Kapanen) but he did score and his shot was a weapon on the power play. The Leafs are going to be able to run two power-plays, one where Auston Matthews takes a bunch of shots, and one where Nick Robertson does. You literally will not be able to take a penalty against the Leafs.
That concludes our Top Ten Prospect List, until next time, thanks for joining us.