Nicholas Robertson
The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect closest to being NHL ready is second round pick Nick Robertson.
Making his NHL debut in the 2020 playoffs vs Columbus, Robertson made the unusual jump from the OHL to the NHL Playoffs. He may not have been an instant star, but he fared decently and scored a goal.
This past season was pretty much a write-off due to the pandemic and injuries. Robertson was hurt early in the season and ended up only playing six games with the Leafs.
During his NHL draft year, Nicholas Robertson scored 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points in 54 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Robertson in the second round of the 2019 NHL entry draft with the 52nd overall pick.
The following year, Robertson had an incredible season for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. He scored 55 goals (1st place in OHL) and 31 assists for 86 points. This was an encouraging sign for Dubas and Leafs fans alike.
Last season, Robertson played in six games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and registered one assist. He also played in 21 games for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. With the Marlies, he registered five goals and 11 assists for 16 points.
This year Robertson will get a chance to make the team, but there is a good possibility that he starts in the AHL. He isn’t a blue-chipper by any means, but he has a high-end NHL quality shot that could potentially make him a star if the everything falls into place.
Coming into training camp he has the advantage of an entry-level contract and jobs up for grabs. Counting against him will be his age, size, experience, injury history and the glut of applicants for the available jobs.
(All Stats from: eliteprospects.com)
Prediction: NHL ready by 2021-22 season