Toronto Maple Leafs News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

What Possibly Made the Maple Leafs Waste Nick Robertson?

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 12:33 PM ET

I don’t think Nick Robertson’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs ever really had a chance to work out. The season was a mess for Toronto, but Robertson still put up decent numbers — 30 points and 14 goals. He was also willing to go into the dirty areas and play physically.

If you’ve watched the team as I have, you have to wonder whether, if the Maple Leafs had handled him differently, he would have given them more? If so, he wouldn’t be in the kind of limbo he seems to be with the organization.

Robertson’s Scoring Has Been Solid, Given How Little He Plays

Robertson’s been doing all his scoring in just over 12 minutes a night, and a lot of the time he’s buried down the lineup like he still needs to earn his spot. That’s what gets me. The Maple Leafs have handled him like they’re not quite convinced. They’ve moved him up and down the lineup whenever it suited them, giving him a look one game and then taking it away the next.

Power-play time? Only in small doses, and mostly toward the end of the season. His linemates seem like they’ve been a revolving door. For a player whose game depends on rhythm and confidence, that’s a rough way to grow. Almost impossible, actually.

You have to believe there’s a small voice in Robertson’s head that wonders what might have happened if he had gotten a real run. What could he have done? He wouldn’t have been asked to be traded two offseasons ago if that weren’t the case.

Robertson Has Grown into the Lineup: He’s Tons Better Than He Was

Make no mistake: Robertson’s shown growth with the Maple Leafs. He’s stronger on the puck, tougher to knock off it, and when he’s paired with skilled players—like that finish off a Max Domi feed the other night—you see his instincts are sharp.

He knows where to go. He knows how to finish. What he hasn’t had is consistency around him, and that matters far more than the box score lets on. Hockey rewards stability almost as much as talent. Who’s going to argue that Robertson doesn’t have talent? But stability? That’s another deal.

Robertson’s Future Could Get Complicated Soon

Looking ahead, what to do with Robertson might get complicated. Robertson’s a restricted free agent, and you can bet he’s noticed how he was handled. He can’t really believe the organization trusts him because (from where I sit), they haven’t.

From the team’s side, maybe they still see him as a depth forward with a nice little season under his belt. From his side, he might be seeing something different: a missed chance, a “what if” season that could have been so much more if the Maple Leafs had just committed a bit earlier.

Sometimes Neither the Player Nor the Team Gets It Right

It’s easy to overthink what’s happening with Robertson. Young players don’t get it all right, but sometimes teams don’t either. How far could Robertson have come if the team had given him a little bit of leash and let him learn on the fly? A middle-six winger who pots 20 goals and gives his team 45 points a season seems like a luxury.

Robertson could accomplish a lot if he had regular linemates and a little more trust. The real question now isn’t just what Nick Robertson is. It’s what he could have been. He has the tools, the instincts, and the drive—what he’s missing is a real chance to put it all together.

And that’s a shame. A wasted opportunity for a team that needed some lift from somewhere and never got it.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: