Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the Toronto Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner to free agency this off-season. This is without a doubt a giant blow for the Leafs who will now be without a 100-point star winger and one of the team's top penalty killers.
Although as the saying goes, “when one door closes, another opens”. Meaning that even with the loss of Marner, it could give way for another player to truly break out. General manager, Brad Treliving has already tried to rectify this to an extent, acquiring winger Mattias Maccelli and helping to shore up the depth throughout the roster.
However, there are also a few internal candidates that could take over some of the scoring that will be lost with Marner gone, specifically a former highly touted prospect, Nick Robertson. He has found himself in constant trade rumors in recent years but was recently inked to a one-year contract with the Leafs.
Robertson can realize his true potential
Between the pandemic, injuries, and some mistrust from his coaches causing him to be a healthy scratch and yo-yoed between the American Hockey League's (AHL) Toronto Marlies and the Maple Leafs, Robertson’s NHL career has been a bit rocky. These factors have all resulted in the forward playing a total of only 156 NHL games since entering the league in 2020-21. He is now nearly 24 years old and will have to work to cement himself as a full-time NHL forward in the top-nine under head coach Craig Berube.
Last year he showed some promise, setting a career high in goals with 15 and added seven assists for 22 points in 69 games in the regular season. He has shown the ability to be a consistent goal scorer even in his limited usage, averaging 17 goals and 29 points over a full 82-game schedule. This comes while getting roughly 11 and a half minutes of time on ice, per game on average.
It is not a stretch to assume playing with better players and getting more ice-time would result in a higher total in the goals column. This is where using him as a way to pick up some of the offensive slack left behind by Marner's exit comes in. He could be given an extended look playing next to either of the two established and elite pairings in the top two lines of John Tavares and William Nylander or Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.
In 2022-23, the line of Robertson-Tavares-Nylander did show some promise with a 3.16 expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and a 47 percent expected goals for in just over 55 minutes of ice-time at 5-on-5 (moneypuck.com). Their expected goals for output was one of the highest of any forward line on the team and although it was a limited sample, it shows some potential.
If he can get some runway with either of the top two lines, he could be able to develop chemistry and it could pay off in a big way for the Leafs. Scoring goals is one of the most valuable skills you can possess in the sport and with Robertson, it comes naturally. If he can find his groove, he may be able to finally live up to the hype he once had.
This season will be a big one for the Maple Leafs and especially for Nick Robertson. He clearly shows potential but he faces an uphill battle for an every day spot in the lineup and with his NHL future most certainly in question if he cannot break through this year, the stakes are as high as ever.