Insider reveals that a young Leaf may request trade if not called up soon
Nick Robertson has five points in two games to start his AHL season and is hoping to continue producing at a high rate to force the Leafs to call him up. Many believed Robertson was all but guaranteed a spot on the main roster when training camp began. Unfortunately for him, no one expected 19-year-old Fraser Minten to have had the camp he did and force Robertson out and down to the Marlies.
In his written 32 Thoughts blog today, Elliotte Friedman noted that Robertson would have been the 13th forward, but due to cap constraints, the Leafs were forced to go with the minimum number of forwards (12). Robertson's opportunity may not be too far away as the Leafs will have to decide if they will return Minten to Kamloops or not following his ninth NHL game. Should they return Minten to the WHL, Robertson could very well be the first man up.
Friedman also noted that if Robertson does not get an opportunity soon, there is a very good chance that he asks for a trade out of Toronto to get a fresh start. Given that Robertson has been passed on the depth chart by the likes of Matthew Knies, Pontus Holmberg and Minten, and that he has suffered a series of injuries over the past few seasons that have hindered his development, maybe a fresh start would be best for both sides.
The Leafs could potentially use Robertson to land a defensive prospect of a similar age and skill set as they do not have many young defensemen coming up through the system who project out as NHLers. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out over the next few weeks and what the decision will be regarding Minten's future come November 1st or shortly thereafter.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 18 | 111 ANSWERS Insider reveals that a young Leaf may request trade if not called up soon Do you think Nick Robertson will request a trade if not recalled by the Leafs soon? | ||
| Yes | 71 | 64 % |
| No | 17 | 15.3 % |
| It would be a mistake to trade him | 23 | 20.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
