Toronto Maple Leafs: Giving Up on Nick Robertson Would be Dumb

It’s seems like every couple of days there is another Toronto Maple Leafs rumour making the rounds.

This week’s is about the second-best Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson and how he may need a change of scenery.

Excuse me for a second while I scream into my hockey-cliche rage pillow.

OK I’m back.

The NHL is filled with silly and ridiculous cliches, but none are more annoying than the Change of Scenery for a viable NHL prospect, just because things haven’t gone swimmingly.

This seems to be the stage we are at with Nick Robertson, and it’s frustrating because there is no reason for the Leafs to even consider moving him at this point.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Giving Up on Nick Robertson Would be Dumb

Nick Robertson is going to be 22 when the NHL season begins next year.  22 is very young for all but the blue-chippiest of prospects.

Since being drafted, Robertson has played 32 NHL games across four seasons, including six playoff games almost immediately after being drafted.

Robertson was hyped big time because he was a second-rounder who was the youngest kid in his draft.  Had he born just three days later, he’d have had to wait a year to be drafted, and he’d have been a first-round pick.

100% of players since 1990 who have scored as much as he did in the OHL have at least one 40 goal NHL season.

He is the brother of an MVP candidate and has an elite shot.

He has a motor that doesn’t stop, and if he ever strings together a set of healthy games, he’s going to be a huge-fan favorite.

Concussion, groin injury, knee injury, broken leg, shoulder surgery.

Robertson has only played in about a season’s worth of games, total, NHL and AHL combined, in the three seasons since being drafted.

His health has been an issue, but it’s hockey, it happens.  He might never live up to his potential because of injuries, but that doesn’t mean the Leafs should trade him.

Not playing the last three years has pretty much destroyed his trade value, and the Leafs would be lucky to get anything for him.

His upside, however, remains awesome.

What, I ask you, is the point of giving up on a player who has upside but cannot be traded for anything substantial?  If you trade him, you get nothing.  Therefore, if he stays and fails, you don’t lose anything.

But if he suddenly gets healthy and lives up to his potential, the payoff could be huge.

Do the Leafs have a bunch of speedy left-wingers  with elite shots and a ton of scoring potential just lying around, unable to crack the lineup because of all the similar, high-ceiling competition?

I submit to you that they do not.

So why on earth would they ever consider moving one who’s upcoming salary is the league minimum?  It makes no sense.