5 Best Case Scenarios for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Nick Robertson Wins the Calder

Nick Robertson jumping to the NHL and performing like a star on an entry-level contract would solve so many of the Leafs problems.

They haven’t developed a star prospect outside of the top ten in the draft for about 25 years (Tomas Kaberle) and Robertson breaking that curse right now would certainly be fortuitous timing.

Additionally, the team is short on established left-wingers.  With Hyman and Galchenyuk exiting this summer, the Leafs are set to audition Nick Ritchie (doesn’t score enough) and Michael Bunting (scored too much to sustain)  on a hope and prayer type basis.

Robertson is a second round pick who was only eligible for his draft year by two or three days. Had he been born a couple days later, he’d have been the oldest player in last year’s draft instead of the youngest player in the prior one.

Had he been eligible for this past draft, he was would have been a first round pick for sure, and likely even a top ten pick.  His age gave the Leafs a huge steal, and in addition to this, he scored a playoff goal in the NHL after jumping straight from the OHL.  That is something that makes you expect him to become a star.

And, given that all three other players who scored over a goal per game in the OHL at the age of 18 over the last 30 years have scored at least 40 goals in an NHL season, expectations are rightly sky high for Robertson.

He might not even make the Leafs out of camp (there’s a lot of competition) but if he does, and if he ends up on the wing with one of the Leafs super-star duos, then anything is possible.  Outside of Matthews (and maybe Nylander) Robertson probably has the best shot on the team.

Using that shot, and getting hardly any attention from opposing defenses could help the Toronto Maple Leafs achieve a possible Best Case Scenario.