Nick Robertson’s start in Pittsburgh is already making the Maple Leafs look uneasy.
Toronto sent Robertson to the Penguins for a fourth-round pick, and the early returns have not been kind to the Leafs. Robertson, who once had a loyal section of Toronto fans convinced he was a stud, never really found a groove while trying to fit Craig Berube hockey. He was scratched plenty of times, and that only fed the confusion and frustration around his usage.
Now he’s in Pittsburgh, and the beginning has been loud.
Even while skating on the fourth line with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte, Robertson has piled up three goals in the first four games of the season. For a player who was often fighting just to stay in the lineup in Toronto, that’s a sharp turn. Social media pundits have wasted no time piling on the Maple Leafs for what looks, at least right now, like a costly call.
The move made some sense from Toronto’s side at the time. Robertson’s salary was climbing, and he eventually signed a two-year deal with the Penguins worth an AAV of $3.25 million. With GM John Chayka looking to strengthen the bottom six with defensive forwards, Robertson simply did not fit the budget or the mold.
There’s also the question of fit. In hindsight, Robertson looks like the kind of player who might have been better served under Jim Hiller, whose teams lean more toward offense.
The Leafs’ five-goal outburst the other night only adds to that idea. Robertson also could have been slotted with players such as Colton Sissons, Easton Cowan, and Gavin McKenna, all of whom have started the year well.
Still, it’s early. The season has 80 games left, and nobody knows what Robertson’s numbers will look like by the end of it. But even with that caveat, these first few games have already left Toronto regretting how quickly it moved on.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Win Couldn't Hide A Problem Before This Road Trip
The Maple Leafs left their four-game homestand with a 5-4 overtime win over Nashville, but the mood around the result was hardly pure celebration. Toronto got the two points it wanted, and the underlying numbers still lean in a positive direction, yet the game also offered a familiar reminder that the margin for error on this team can disappear fast when the defensive structure slips.
Brandon Duhaime, Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were all part of the breakdowns that helped Nashville find openings, and those kinds of mistakes are hard to ignore with a demanding road stretch ahead. A win can cover up a lot for a night, but for the Leafs, the next phase of the schedule will say more about whether the defensive issues were a one-game mess or something more persistent. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Be Overlooking The Edge This Lineup Still Needs
The Maple Leafs brought in Zack MacEwen over the offseason as a depth addition with a clear purpose in mind: add some size, edge and energy to the bottom of the lineup. After a brief stint with New Jersey last season, MacEwen arrived on a two-year deal and has so far been used sparingly, with Toronto treating him as the kind of forward who can give a game a different texture even without heavy minutes.
MacEwen has only dressed once this season, and the usage suggests the Leafs are still deciding how much room there really is for that brand of player. Toronto already has enough skill to survive most nights, but the question hanging over this roster is whether it is leaving itself a little light on the kind of toughness that can matter when the games tighten up later on. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fans Finally Get The Forward Shakeup They Wanted
The Maple Leafs are heading into their West Coast trip with a noticeable tweak to the forward group as they get set to face the Vegas Golden Knights. After some chatter about how the lines might be arranged, Toronto has made a change that reflects both the teams search for balance and the way it wants to handle a young player still learning the pace and rhythm of the NHL.
Gavin McKenna has already given the Leafs a glimpse of what he can bring, recording his first NHL goal and assist, but the coaching staff appears to be keeping a close eye on his workload as he settles in. Easton Cowans move into a more prominent role gives Toronto another look at its forward depth, while the road trip offers another test of how quickly the group can adapt. [Read more 🡒]