Nick Robertson’s Frustrations With the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Take a Back Seat
Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson won’t get a bigger NHL role in Toronto or elsewhere if he doesn’t sign a contract, play and aim for a resolution down the line, says Adam Proteau.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have addressed most of their issues this off-season, but one that continues to linger is the status of unsigned RFA winger Nick Robertson.
After reports earlier in the summer indicated Robertson requested a trade, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving acknowledged Robertson’s frustration in July while also reinforcing the idea the team wants a solution that keeps him wearing Blue and White.
While a recent TSN report suggests Robertson is no closer to signing a contract with Toronto, the reality is the Maple Leafs hold all the leverage and aren’t about to give Robertson away.
Although Robertson has every right to feel how he wants to feel about his current competitive situation with the Maple Leafs, he won’t be well-served by sitting out and missing NHL training camp and the beginning of next season.
Indeed, taking that negotiating stance would put Robertson behind the eight ball competitively, and the Leafs would be well within their rights to let him sit out as they continue to try to be a top-level team in the Atlantic Division.
Robertson has spent time in the AHL and the NHL in each of the last four seasons. While he’s proven himself with the AHL Marlies, recording 11 points in nine games last season, he could take another step at the NHL level. He had 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games last season, and he’s had 34 points in 87 career games. In the playoffs, he had 11 shots but no points in six games, averaging 9:48 of ice time per match.
Treliving last spoke specifically about Robertson in July, making it clear the organization knows Robertson is disgruntled after being loaned to the Marlies in March. But Treliving made it obvious the Leafs hold the hammer in negotiations.
“I have certainly known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” Treliving said in early July. “There is great opportunity for Nick (in Toronto). We need him to be a good player for us. I am not going to get into any speculation or public back-and-forth. We will just leave it at that and continue to move forward.”
