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The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
With regular second-pairing left-shot defenseman K’Andre Miller set to miss Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to personal reasons, the Rangers are down a defenseman for Tuesday night’s game.
Veteran Erik Gustafsson appears poised to take Miller’s spot next to captain Jacob Trouba, and then the decision for who will enter the lineup will come down to either Zac Jones or Robertson.
For an important game against a strong Maple Leafs team, one would assume that Jones, an intelligent player with nearly 50 games of NHL experience, would be the preferred option.
But seeing as Miller’s absence means the Rangers have a second-unit penalty killer to replace, Robertson could very well be called upon to make his NHL debut. Standing six-foot-three, 211 pounds, Robertson offers a more defensive style and the kind of size and physicality Jones, who is 5-foot-10, does not provide.
Should he end up dressed for Tuesday’s game, Robertson would get the chance to make his NHL debut in the middle of his third season playing professional hockey.
The 22-year-old was a 2019 second-round pick, selected out of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Robertson had a strong junior career. He skated in over 200 WHL games, won gold at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and was once named to the WHL’s Second All-Star Team. While Edmonton only got the chance to reach the playoffs once during Robertson’s time there, he played a crucial role on a team that made a run to the WHL’s Conference Finals.
In Hartford, Robertson has steadily risen in importance. While he isn’t much of an offensive producer, Robertson scored a career-high 23 points in 57 games last year. This season, he’s frequently spent time alongside former OHL star Mac Hollowell, and the defensive safety he provides to that pairing has helped Hollowell pile up points, as he has posted 22 in just 18 games.
While Robertson may only be in the NHL on a short-term basis due to the news regarding Miller, and he may end up just in the press box as a healthy scratch Tuesday night, it would be a surprise if Robertson doesn’t get the chance to make his NHL debut at some point down the line.
More must-reads:
- Filip Chytil’s Injury Has Galvanized Rangers’ 4th Line
- Rangers’ K’Andre Miller to miss tonight’s game against Maple Leafs due to personal reasons
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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A recent trade pitch from Heavy.com has the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring veteran defenseman Mike Matheson from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Simon Benoit, restricted free agent Nick Robertson, and a 2028 third-round pick. While the idea might seem intriguing on paper—especially for a Toronto team looking to add offensive punch from the blue line—the numbers don’t add up terribly well. Matheson, entering the final year of his eight-year, $39 million contract, carries a $4.875 million cap hit. In this hypothetical deal, the Leafs would send out Benoit’s $1.35 million salary and the unsigned Robertson, meaning the club would be taking on over $3.5 million in additional cap obligations. As it stands, the Maple Leafs don’t have that kind of space to play with. In fact, the deal would put them roughly $675,000 over the salary cap, forcing GM Brad Treliving to make additional moves just to stay compliant. That’s a steep price for a player they don’t necessarily need. Toronto’s blue line is already deep, especially with recent additions like Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The team also has Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe, with Brandon Carlo acquired at last season’s trade deadline. Treliving has made it clear he likes the “length” and physicality of his defense corps. While Matheson would add some offensive flair—he posted 31 points in 80 games last season—he doesn’t offer enough of a game-changing upgrade to justify the cap crunch when the real need is more scoring up front. If the idea is to gain that scoring from the back end, it can only mean Toronto has run out of realistic options for their top-six forward group. Canadiens Likely Don’t Love This Trade Either The Canadiens, for their part, could benefit from shedding salary on a player they no longer really need and acquiring two young, controllable pieces. However, as one commenter on the post noted, GM Kent Hughes likes Matheson and has already said there is no rush to trade the defenseman. The Canadiens need a second-line center, and the return from Toronto doesn’t help fill that need. From Toronto’s perspective, this move feels like a forced fit. For Montreal, it removes a tradeable asset and doesn’t bring them back what they’re ideally looking for.
All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz makes MLB history vs. Astros
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76ers unexpectedly waive veteran guard despite career season
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