Are you crazy the kid is a stud, prolific scorer ,work ethic top shelf great hands , hart and determination has huge talent. in his rookie season in OHL he was Petes best player last 3 months of season! He was Americans top line ,power play and leading scorer!
Nicholas Robertson Discussion.
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Northernguy10
Registered User
Just a reminder that Robertson was originally scheduled to return around Feb 15th-ish...I wonder if he'll stick around on the taxi squad or play in the O if they ever get going or if special provisions will be made to allow him (and others) to play in the AHL for this year only. Apparently the Marlies will be opening on the road (Manitoba I believe) shortly with hopes of being able to play in Ontario in the not-too-distant future... Anybody have more info on the OHL and AHL plans going forward?
KingWongQc
Registered User
- Jan 30, 2021
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moon111
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2014
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The kid in me wants to stick Robertson right in there. Throw him on the 1st line LW and let him rip.
The adult in me wants to put him on the fourth line, and just watch how well he does with his defensive game, and punish/reward him based on that metric alone.
I grew-up watching the 80's Leafs. You'd get some kid who could score, give him the keys to the team, he'd be off doing his thing and it was impossible mold them.
Mike Babcock realized this behavior but took it way way too far. Think we can trust Keefe a little better to balance things and make it so Robertson is eager to prove himself
without holding him back with a noose.
Hopefully he plays soon.
The adult in me wants to put him on the fourth line, and just watch how well he does with his defensive game, and punish/reward him based on that metric alone.
I grew-up watching the 80's Leafs. You'd get some kid who could score, give him the keys to the team, he'd be off doing his thing and it was impossible mold them.
Mike Babcock realized this behavior but took it way way too far. Think we can trust Keefe a little better to balance things and make it so Robertson is eager to prove himself
without holding him back with a noose.
Hopefully he plays soon.
Wafflewhipper
Registered User
- Jan 18, 2014
- 14,114
- 5,694
He was out injured with the Marlies. He’s better staying with the Taxi squad for my money. I think they were ready to give him games but he got the first injury in his first game. He can skate and add energy. His coverage on defense and positioning was good.
This guy played his last Ohl games. Throw him in and let him build his Nhl game.
The way this kid back pressures the puck is already good. It’s impressive. Confidence right now is zero after all these injuries i would assume. I said before slam him on the wing in the top 6 but now after injuries, bottom six is the place for him.
If he does get in he will be watched closely so he better be flying and defending good. Anything after that is building expierence. I kind of like the expectations reduced now. I expect good defensive play from him already.
It’ll be fun to watch him as he finds traction in the Nhl game. Lots of good vets to help now.
This guy played his last Ohl games. Throw him in and let him build his Nhl game.
The way this kid back pressures the puck is already good. It’s impressive. Confidence right now is zero after all these injuries i would assume. I said before slam him on the wing in the top 6 but now after injuries, bottom six is the place for him.
If he does get in he will be watched closely so he better be flying and defending good. Anything after that is building expierence. I kind of like the expectations reduced now. I expect good defensive play from him already.
It’ll be fun to watch him as he finds traction in the Nhl game. Lots of good vets to help now.
Wafflewhipper
Registered User
- Jan 18, 2014
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If he gets in a game Keefe might start the blender and he gets a look in different situations. I was right with your line of thinking before he added a couple injuries. Now I’m fine with just starting him anywhere in the lineup and not expecting scoring from him. Lehtonen couldn’t cut it after the career he’s had in the Khl. A Ohl’er gets lots and lots of passes in his development. That said,he’s a really dependable defensive player already. I would be over the moon if he made PK’ing minutes first. Would just like to watch him develop with no expectations heaped on. That shot will be a handful eventually
DarkKnight
Professional Amateur
- Jan 17, 2017
- 35,515
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Normally patience is a good thing with a prospect, with this kid I slot him in the minute he’s available.
One-on-one with Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson: On recovering from his injury and trade speculation - The Athletic
His parents stayed in Toronto when the diagnosis was delivered just days later: He’d be out for 10 weeks, meaning that because of COVID-19 delays and injuries, he played just 57 games in the calendar years of 2020 and 2021.
So, is Robertson injury prone?
“I’m not,” he said, his face scrunching at the very question. “If you look at my injuries, they’re all flukes.”
He lists off the mitigating factors surrounding recent injuries: a groin issue was caused by changes to his training habits. Unfortunate placement of his knee along the boards led to a knee injury in his NHL regular-season debut in January 2021. He suffered a concussion because he “hit a rut” on the ice and changed direction. And then there was the way he landed on the ice in his most recent injury:.
All in all, not ideal for a top prospect fighting to get back to the NHL.
But his parents told him to bear down and focus on “attacking the rehab process.” Clearly, they know their son well.
This is the same Robertson who regularly takes to the ice 30 minutes before practice starts, plugs in his headphones, listens to rap, and stick-handles in his own world.
He acknowledges the extra stick-handling might not necessarily make him a better player, but it will help him “mentally get ready” for whatever comes ahead.
.................
After completing early morning workouts, Robertson would return to his Toronto apartment where he lives alone and comb over the video the Leafs development staff sent him and the NHL games he had picked out himself. He’d open a notebook to jot down his observations. He’d always taken notes here and there during video breakdowns, but during this injury, he filled page upon page with what he saw: reference points for later. This injury caused Robertson to re-evaluate how he plays.
He doesn’t want to play more cautiously, but instead become a smarter player and avoid injuries once and for all. So when studying video, he wanted to find ways to give himself space and to pick and choose when he needs to go full tilt and when to back off.
He pored over video of NHL goal scorers with good habits such as Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Travis Konecny to look for shooting patterns he could mimic.
“I got more development out of my injury than not,” said Robertson. “Sometimes when you’re playing, you don’t think (about development) but I think my injury helped a lot with studying video and analyzing on my game.”
Leafs senior director of player development Hayley Wickenheiser implored upon Robertson to play with a “spider mentality”: distribute the puck more, shoot off the pass more instead of always stick-handling and essentially relax and let the game come to him.
He believes he’s already putting those lessons into practice. On his first goal back with the Marlies, he stick-handled quickly to buy himself space, but didn’t overcomplicate things by skating into traffic.
His parents stayed in Toronto when the diagnosis was delivered just days later: He’d be out for 10 weeks, meaning that because of COVID-19 delays and injuries, he played just 57 games in the calendar years of 2020 and 2021.
So, is Robertson injury prone?
“I’m not,” he said, his face scrunching at the very question. “If you look at my injuries, they’re all flukes.”
He lists off the mitigating factors surrounding recent injuries: a groin issue was caused by changes to his training habits. Unfortunate placement of his knee along the boards led to a knee injury in his NHL regular-season debut in January 2021. He suffered a concussion because he “hit a rut” on the ice and changed direction. And then there was the way he landed on the ice in his most recent injury:.
All in all, not ideal for a top prospect fighting to get back to the NHL.
But his parents told him to bear down and focus on “attacking the rehab process.” Clearly, they know their son well.
This is the same Robertson who regularly takes to the ice 30 minutes before practice starts, plugs in his headphones, listens to rap, and stick-handles in his own world.
He acknowledges the extra stick-handling might not necessarily make him a better player, but it will help him “mentally get ready” for whatever comes ahead.
.................
After completing early morning workouts, Robertson would return to his Toronto apartment where he lives alone and comb over the video the Leafs development staff sent him and the NHL games he had picked out himself. He’d open a notebook to jot down his observations. He’d always taken notes here and there during video breakdowns, but during this injury, he filled page upon page with what he saw: reference points for later. This injury caused Robertson to re-evaluate how he plays.
He doesn’t want to play more cautiously, but instead become a smarter player and avoid injuries once and for all. So when studying video, he wanted to find ways to give himself space and to pick and choose when he needs to go full tilt and when to back off.
He pored over video of NHL goal scorers with good habits such as Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Travis Konecny to look for shooting patterns he could mimic.
“I got more development out of my injury than not,” said Robertson. “Sometimes when you’re playing, you don’t think (about development) but I think my injury helped a lot with studying video and analyzing on my game.”
Leafs senior director of player development Hayley Wickenheiser implored upon Robertson to play with a “spider mentality”: distribute the puck more, shoot off the pass more instead of always stick-handling and essentially relax and let the game come to him.
He believes he’s already putting those lessons into practice. On his first goal back with the Marlies, he stick-handled quickly to buy himself space, but didn’t overcomplicate things by skating into traffic.
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
- 83,060
- 61,967
Whatever they're telling the Russian guys, I think they need to reconsider. Instead of like "we'll give you a quick chance to prove yourself or cut you loose" it should be a more coherent development plan. Sell Barabanov on being a Leaf and have a plan to keep him more than 3 months.
JayfromNB1219
Registered User
I feel like most Russians who make the choice to leave the KHL to come here should be informed they will start in the AHL in order to help them transition with a promise that they will get a shot in the league after that transition has been successful...it's a WAY different game and very few of them have Mik's raw toolset and even then he's a 2-4 liner be honest with them if they want to try then awesome but don't promise the farm early
the guy has 5 points , 3 goals in his last 5 games .... he'll be fine.
he was good today
Shooter2x
Registered User
- Nov 3, 2021
- 1,721
- 2,236
Dubas is high on Robertson. Miks time is near if he doesn't wake up. I'd flip Mik for a pick now while we can still sell his hot start and get Robertson in the lineup.
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
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18yrs old
Robertson (OHL): 46gms, 55gls, 86pts (98gl/153pt pace)
Debrincat (OHL): 60gms, 51gls, 101pts (70gls/138pt pace)
19yrs old
Robertson (AHL): 21gms, 5gls, 16pts (20gl/63pt pace)
Debrincat (OHL): 63gms, 65gls, 127pts (85gls/165pt pace)
Age 20
Robertson (AHL): 7gms, 3gls, 7pts (35gl/82pt pace)
Debrincat (NHL): 82gms, 28gls, 52pts (28gl/52pt pace)
Nick is small, but not as small as debrincat.
SeaOfBlue
The Passion That Unites Us All
- Aug 1, 2013
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There is room to fit Robertson in the lineup right now if we really want him to be there.
It would come at the expense of Simmonds though.
That may be why the Leafs are not really motivated to make any big move up front. Maybe they think Robertson (or maybe Anderson) could be ready to provide some depth scoring by the playoffs.
Apotheosis
Registered User
If Robertson turns in to Debrincat-lite or like him in general, the Leafs will have a historically good offence.
18 years of age: His assist totals were not really helped by playing with SDA and his 'shoot first' mentality. A bit tongue in cheek to be sure, as SDA ably was Robertson's set-up man, but if SDA had a better shot, Nick's point total would surely have gone up, I'd think. Since then, injuries have certainly played a part in his development, and while your point pace helps us understand who he is, had Robertson not been injured, I think his game would have matured and more resembled Debrincat's progression, though not suggesting he would have matched Debrincat's 19 yr season. My goodness!
I can see the Leafs giving Robertson 15-20 in the AHL to gain his legs and confidence, and then bring him up with 10 to go in the regular season here. Perhaps on alternate games while we see what we have. If he produces will in the A, I have to imagine he'd bring something to the 4th line which we currently don't have on the left side.
Where does newly acquired defenceman Lyubushkin fit in with the Leafs? - TSN.ca
Top prospect Nick Robertson appears to finally be on track after an injury-plagued run.
"He has been outstanding," Dubas gushed. "He is only 20 years old and sometimes that gets forgotten because of the strange way his development has gone. He was drafted in the second round [in 2019], had a great season with Peterborough, and then came to our team and played in the bubble [in the playoffs]."
"Last season, as a 19-year-old, in [our] third game of the year in Ottawa, he gets injured. And then he gets injured late in the Marlies season and he has a bad injury [non-displaced fracture of his right fibula] in the second game of this season against Manitoba with the Marlies."
Robertson has three goals and two assists since returning to the Marlies lineup.
"It is the best I have seen him play at this level," Dubas said, "not only on the puck but off of it, and on the penalty kill. He is much more dangerous with the puck. His skating looks a lot better, which is a credit to him and the work he put in with the staff during his injury to continue to become more explosive, improve his acceleration, get open, and use his shot. As everyone has seen in the last couple of days, he is shooting it in the net from distance."
And while Dubas heaped praise on the American, he also preached patience.
"We are very, very happy with him," Dubas said. "The key is for him to continue to build momentum ... Last year, with the taxi squad, it was up and down. It tends to stunt momentum. We want to see him continue to build momentum and continue to take on a huge role with the penalty kill and defensively while producing offensively. It will just be a matter of time until he forces our hand."
Top prospect Nick Robertson appears to finally be on track after an injury-plagued run.
"He has been outstanding," Dubas gushed. "He is only 20 years old and sometimes that gets forgotten because of the strange way his development has gone. He was drafted in the second round [in 2019], had a great season with Peterborough, and then came to our team and played in the bubble [in the playoffs]."
"Last season, as a 19-year-old, in [our] third game of the year in Ottawa, he gets injured. And then he gets injured late in the Marlies season and he has a bad injury [non-displaced fracture of his right fibula] in the second game of this season against Manitoba with the Marlies."
Robertson has three goals and two assists since returning to the Marlies lineup.
"It is the best I have seen him play at this level," Dubas said, "not only on the puck but off of it, and on the penalty kill. He is much more dangerous with the puck. His skating looks a lot better, which is a credit to him and the work he put in with the staff during his injury to continue to become more explosive, improve his acceleration, get open, and use his shot. As everyone has seen in the last couple of days, he is shooting it in the net from distance."
And while Dubas heaped praise on the American, he also preached patience.
"We are very, very happy with him," Dubas said. "The key is for him to continue to build momentum ... Last year, with the taxi squad, it was up and down. It tends to stunt momentum. We want to see him continue to build momentum and continue to take on a huge role with the penalty kill and defensively while producing offensively. It will just be a matter of time until he forces our hand."
Nylander88
Registered User
I've seen enough of Engvall for now. Would like to see Robertson add a scoring threat to the 4th line, and some young energy. Robertson-Spezza-Simmonds would give Robertson plenty of veteran support. A grinder in Simmer and a playmaker in Spezza. Could really add a purpose to that 4th line, that currently seems to lack much of anything
I don't think it's that simple.
Russian/KHL players don't really want to leave the KHL to go play in the AHL.
While I'm obviously not privy to negotiations, I suspect one of the reasons so many chose Toronto is knowing that they'll get a reasonable shot here, or get moved somewhere they can get a reasonable shot.
I think of Robertson like I think of some of my mutual funds: just forget about them for a while, keep them invested and wait for them to mature.
Sometimes it doesn't work out, but more often than not patience is a virtue. There's usually no point in rushing things that take some time to develop.
Sometimes it doesn't work out, but more often than not patience is a virtue. There's usually no point in rushing things that take some time to develop.
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
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I think his 18yr old year was pretty much as good as debrincat's 19yr old year tho?
