The latest on injury-plagued top prospect Nick Robertson
When Nick Robertson was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs 53rd overall in 2019, just about everyone was a critic, as Robertson was not only one of the youngest players in his draft class, but one of the smallest as well.
Robertson, listed at 5'9, 164 lbs, silenced a lot of his critics in his draft year when he scored an astonishing 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 games for the OHL's Peterborough Petes and earning himself an opportunity with the Leafs straight out of junior, debuting with the Leafs in their postseason play-in series against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Toronto bubble in 2020. He would go on to record his first career playoff goal in that series, but the Leafs were upset by the Blue Jackets, losing in 5 games and suffering yet another early exit.
What followed for Robertson was a disappointing start to his pro career that has been riddled with injuries over the past two seasons. To date, the Pasadena, California native has managed to suit up in just 29 career pro games - 6 in the NHL and 23 in the AHL.
This season, Robertson was not able to successfully make the big club out of training camp and was sent down to the Marlies to begin the 2021-22 season in the AHL, likely right near the top of the list of players who would be called up if the injury bug bit.
The injury bug did bite, but unfortunately, it bit Robertson himself, yet again. Robertson suffered a fractured fibula in October, just 2 games into the AHL season, with the timetable for recovery being a long one - 10 weeks to be exact.
Last week, The Athletic's Joshua Kloke spoke with Marlies head coach Greg Moore, who told Kloke that Robertson is not expected to resume skating until sometime after the Christmas break, possibly not until January.
If Robertson does not begin skating until January, it's possible that he does not get back into the lineup until February, which might all but eliminate any opportunity he would have otherwise had to make his way back into the NHL this season.
It's not the worst idea in the world to allow Robertson to just focus on his development at the AHL level for the remainder of this year and to work with the team's trainers and medical staff to find a way to keep his body healthy for longer stretches.
Consistency is everything when you reach the professional level, and we have seen careers derailed early due to injury. At just 20 years of age, it is concerning that Robertson has been unable to remain healthy long enough to find his groove as a pro.
Fingers crossed that when Robertson returns, he can remain healthy for the duration of this season and put together a strong campaign, which could put him in a good position to make the Leafs next season out of training camp.
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