Nick Robertson out-produced some very high picks last year in the AHL; he's finally ready
For Nick Robertson, the path to the NHL has been anything but straight and easy. His early pro career has been littered with injury issues and his limited looks at the NHL level have left something to be desired, but make no mistake about it, the tools are there.
After suffering a devastating fibula fracture at the start of last season with the Toronto Marlies, which caused him to miss nearly 3 months, Robertson came back and lit the AHL on fire, recording 16 goals and 28 points in 28 games to end the season.
At 20 years old, Robertson produced at a higher rate than some of the top NHL prospects at both even strength and in all situations. Almost all of them, actually. Among the names that had been outproduced by Robertson last season were Lukas Reichel, Alexander Holtz, Jakob Pelletier, Peyton Krebs, Dylan Holloway, Marco Rossi, Jacob Perreault, Alex Turcotte and Cole Perfetti. Not only are all of these players first rounders, but some of them are top 10 picks.
Success is not linear. Some players take longer to develop than others. I'm of the firmest beliefs that had Robertson not been hit so hard with the injury bug, he'd already be a full-time NHLer. His shot is not only NHL-caliber, but his work ethic is as well.
Robertson was drafted with the 53rd overall pick (2nd round) by the Leafs back in 2019. At the time, he was believed to be a fringe first round talent who slipped due to his size and the fact that he was so young. After scoring 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 games in 2019-20, it became apparent that the Leafs may have walked away from the 2019 draft with a steal in the second round.
Listed at 5'10, 176 lbs, Robertson is not the largest player in the AHL, but he's often been the most dangerous. With the Leafs not having gone out and acquired a legit top-6 LW this summer, it seems pretty apparent that Robertson will have every chance to earn the spot in training camp. If he gets any real time in the Leafs' top six this season, he stands a reasonably good chance of doing some real damage at the NHL level. His inability to stay healthy, however, has been his Achilles heel up to this point. If he can stay healthy in 2022-23, the Buds may have a breakout star on their hands.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 17 | 379 ANSWERS Nick Robertson out-produced some very high picks last year in the AHL; he's finally ready How many points will Nick Robertson score as a Leaf in 2022-23? | ||
| 40 or less | 170 | 44.9 % |
| 41-50 | 101 | 26.6 % |
| 51-60+ | 51 | 13.5 % |
| None, he won't be in the NHL | 57 | 15 % |
| List of polls | ||
