The Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Tell Nick Robertson He's Not Being Traded
By James Tanner
The Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect is likely Easton Cowan, but Nick Robertson is likely ahead of both Topi Niemela and Fraser Minten on the prospects depth chart.
That is because Nick Robertson has an upside that is matched by no other Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, with the possible, but no for-sure, exception of Easton Cowan.
You also might consider that not only is Nick Robertson a top prospect, but the Leafs prospect system, after years of contending for a Cup they haven't won, is pretty weak.
So when Nick Robertson requested a trade earlier this summer, it is this columnist's hope that they told him to kick stones and get ready for training camp.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Tell Nick Robertson He's Not Being Traded
Not only is Nick Robertson still just 23 when this season starts, but every player who has ever scored as much as he did in the OHL, at the age he did it, has a 40 goal NHL season to their name.
And if you've seen Robertson play, you know his engine never stops and his shot is lethal. He could quite easily become a 40 goal scorer in the NHL.
You can't blame Robertson for wanting to be traded to an organization that would appreciate his skills. After scoring at the same rate as William Nylander at 5v5 last season, the Leafs went six games with barely a goal and then inexplicably scratched arguably their best depth-scoring option in game seven.
You can't blame him for being upset, but the fix is simple:
Brad Treliving should call him into his office and tell him that a top six role on the team this year is his to lose. He should say that while Game 7 was Keefe's decision, he personally would have made a different one, and that that factored in the team getting a new coach.
He should offer Robertson a fresh start with Berube and sell him on the chance of playing with Mitch Marner on a more or less permanent basis.
This would placate him, keep him in the fold and help the Leafs avoid a major disaster/embarassment.
The Leafs can't trade Robertson because his injury history and the coach's obvious mistrust of him has sabatoged any trade value he had. You'd be lucky to get back a player with half of his potential in a trade.
He's more valuable to the Leafs than to anyone else, and the Leafs have a clear path for him to earn playing time in the top six with Tyler Bertuzzi gone, and one of Nylander or Marner highly likely to be tried at centre. (How else is the team going to fix it's Pontus Holmberg Problem?).
Robertson has shown he can win his minutes and score big in the NHL. With some consistent power-play time and a larger role on the team he gives the Leafs one thing they lack - cheap players with upside.
Nick Robertson gives the Leafs a shot at something they've been unable to do since Tomas Kaberle: develop a non-first rounder into a star player.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs need to fix this relationship and salvage one of their best draft picks in years.