The Toronto Maple Leafs recently sent Nicholas Robertson down to the AHL to make room for the return of Calle Jarnkrok from LTIR.
The demotion was not performance based, but rather because Robertson is the only member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, other than first liner Matthew Knies, who is eligible to be send to the AHL without first having to clear waivers.
The Leafs used the fact that Robertson doesn’t need to clear waivers to their advantage, but is it a fair to Robertson when he’s won his minutes and put up decent numbers in a limited role during his rookie season?
Robertson is having his healthiest and most productive season as a pro. He has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 41 games. That’s not too bad for a player averaging 11:22 minutes of ice time. However, many people, including myself, want to see more from Robertson. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade Nicholas Robertson
According to Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet, Robertson received confirmation from the Leafs that this recent demotion will not last long. The Leafs assured him that they intend to call him back up to the NHL soon. Regardless of the Leafs assurances, the situation has to be frustrating for Robertson. I will admit that I don’t think Robertson gets enough playing time to really showcase his ability, and he has arguably earned it by not only scoring at a 5v5 rate comprable to William Nylander, but playing well enough that the Leafs are winning his minutes whether you measure them by puck possesion, shots, scoring chances, dangerous scoring chances, goals or expected goals. (Naturalstattrick.com).
