Nick Robertson has created a good problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs

It isn’t too hard to realize that lately, there has been one Toronto Maple Leafs player that has been predominantly filling the scoresheet in recent games.

Despite several low-scoring affairs in the past few preseason games, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson has stood out as the team’s main offensive driving force thus far in training camp.

In the four games that he has seen action so far, Robertson has recorded five goals on 11 shots including three game winners. Not only that, his tenacity and hunger for the puck has been at another level this year, never shying away despite his size and strength.

In doing so, it has created somewhat of a dilemma for the Maple Leafs, but it may turn out to be a good problem to have.

Nick Robertson has created a good problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Earlier during the offseason, Robertson had expressed his desire and demands of being traded from the Leafs so that he could get more opportunities to showcase his talents. After several weeks of speculation, he ended up re-signing with Toronto on a one-year, $875,000 contract. Head coach Craig Berube also reassured at the time that Robertson will get his chance to play a significant role with the team this season.

Right now, Robertson appears to be playing out of his mind, outshining even the stars of the team on most nights. In doing so, it has raised his stock immensely over the past couple of weeks.

So that now brings up the question, should the Leafs still pursue a potential trade partner for Robertson while his value is probably at its highest, or should they keep hold of their fast-rising asset? 

So far in his Leafs tenure, Robertson has recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 87 career NHL games. Last season, he put up his best numbers, with 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 56 games played, which is even better than it sounds because he played so few minutes and didn't get much, if any, power-play time. As a result, his current strong showing may be hinting that he may taking a huge leap forward this season. (All stats from NHL.com)

If Robertson ends up maintaining this type of dominance heading into the regular season, it could lead to some more attractive trade assets being offered by prospective teams to obtain his services. At the same time, if he really continues his success, he actually becomes much more valuable for the Leafs to keep to help provide some much-needed secondary scoring for the team. Either way, it sounds like it is developing into a win-win situation for Toronto going forward, but one that could lead to a potentially tough decision down the road.

No matter what the fate of Robertson turns out to be, it probably won’t be decided until a little later during the regular season. Nevertheless, we should cherish the skill and excitement that he has brought to the Leafs in recent games and hope that he is now on his way to a productive and long NHL career.