Nick Robertson is already making the Maple Leafs regret trading him

Former Toronto Maple Leafs players are scattered around the NHL but for some reason it feels like there is a larger possibility of these former players immediately making us wish they were still in Toronto.

This past summer the Maple Leafs traded 25-year-old winger Nick Robertson to the Kyle Dubas-ran Pittsburgh Penguins for nothing but a fourth-round pick. The Leafs former general manager brought back a player he is very familiar with.

While Robertson popped off a bit in the preseason for his new team, we can easily throw that away as just scoring in an exhibition game that means nothing. Unfortunately, we now have to live with him looking very good in the Penguins season opener.

Against the Flyers in Philadelphia, Robertson and his Penguins thrashed their archrivals to a tune of a 7-0 win and who else kicked it all off but the former Leaf with a neat little goal.

Sure, it was a little messy and not a clean snipe that Robertson sometimes did while wearing a Leafs sweater, but a goal is a goal.

That point is even made stronger when Robertson "scores" his second goal of the game. A shorthanded tally that takes a very lucky bounce off the skate of goaltender Dan Vladar and into the back of the Flyers net.

That was certainly lucky but, like we said, a goal is a goal and now in his very first game that counts on his new team, he gets to boast that he scored two goals.

While it's a little tough seeing a player that the Leafs clearly gave up on have this immediate success, would he actually find a spot on this current roster?

Would Robertson even have a place on the current Leafs team?

During his time in Toronto, Robertson dealt with the issue of not being good enough to play with the likes of Auston Matthews on a regular basis, but also the bottom six didn't have the talent to support his scoring. His best season in Toronto was his last, scoring 16 goals and 32 points while averaging just 12:40 time-on-ice, so barely any opportunity to earn a whole lot of minutes.

But with a new opportunity, he was given the supreme green light in Pittsburgh. Robertson started the game on the wing of Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh's top line. While the Leafs would never really accept that he is capable of being a top-six winger, he was given a chance to prove it right away for the Penguins and he succeeded in that opportunity.

With John Chayka's massive turnover, Robertson needed to go. The likes of Colton Sissons, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, and Teddy Blueger fit more of the identity of what they want in the bottom six. And instead of having the inconsistent shooter in Robertson as the offensive presence down there, they will either have the hardworking Easton Cowan, Jack Roslovic, or Gavin McKenna in the near future.

It's certainly a different team and maybe Robertson just needed to leave. Should we be happy that he's scoring on his new team? Maybe with the knowledge that it never really would have happened here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow