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Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Can’t Stay Healthy

By Jeremy Ridgewell

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 13: Nick Robertson #89 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to playing against the Calgary Flames in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Flames defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 13: Nick Robertson #89 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to playing against the Calgary Flames in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Flames defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will not have the services of Nick Robertson for the rest of this season due to injury.

Robertson injured his shoulder on December 8th, 2022, in a Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Los Angeles Kings. The shoulder was injured after Robertson received a hard hit into the boards by Matt Roy. Roy received a penalty on the play.

On Monday, January 16th, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Nick Robertson is having shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of this season. After the injury on December 8th, it was announced that his recovery time would be 6-8 weeks.

After reaching the six-week mark with little to no progress, doctors determined that surgery would be Robertson’s best option.

What’s Next for Nick Robertson and the Toronto Maple Leafs?

For a young player with a lot of potential, Robertson can’t seem to stay healthy long enough to prove his worth. This setback is not the first time he has had to watch from the sidelines. The NHL can be an unforgiving place for some players. Robertson is a great skater with a ton of skill, but he seems unable to handle the roughness of the NHL.

Though it’s entirely possible that it only seems that way.

Robertson’s career is starting the way former Maple Leaf Joffrey Lupul’s career ended. During his five and a half seasons in Toronto, Lupul spent plenty of time on injured reserve. Lupul suffered a shoulder separation, fractured forearm, concussion, and numerous lower-body injuries. Robertson was drafted in 2019, but since turning pro in the 2020-21 season, he has suffered a knee injury, a fractured leg, and now a shoulder injury.

Injuries are a part of playing sports. Players try to train to keep their bodies in top shape, and they wear state-of-the-art equipment, but sometimes things happen.

Unfortunately, for some players, like Robertson, it happens more often. Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs would love to see him stay healthy and reach his full potential. However, if his health remains a liability, Robertson could see Toronto cut ties with him and let him become another team’s problem.

An important thing to remember is that Robertson is 21 years old. He still has time to right the ship and become a regular, everyday NHL player.

Whether that is with the Toronto Maple Leafs will depend on how much patience management is willing to have with him. Current general manager Kyle Dubas does not have a contract beyond this season. If Toronto enters next season with a new GM, there is no telling what that GM’s thoughts will be toward Robertson.

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Considering his age, I think it is too early to give up on Robertson. He has one more season with the Maple Leafs before he’s a restricted free agent (RFA). His next contract with Toronto or another team will be determined by how well he performs next season and if he can stay healthy.

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