Highly touted Leafs prospect entering a pivotal season; it's time to put up or shut up
Without a doubt, there is a handful of Leafs that are entering this season with a lot to prove. Some players will be entering the last year of their contracts and will be trying to perform well in the hopes of landing a massive payday next off-season. The younger players in the organization will be attempting to make a name for themselves as they vie for an everyday role with the big club.
An argument could very well be made that Nick Robertson is entering this upcoming season with the most at stake out of any player on the squad's current roster.
Roberston has faced his fair share of scrutiny ever since his name was called 53rd overall back in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. A lot of the skepticism is related to his small stature – standing at only 5'9 and weighing 164 lbs. When healthy, Robertson has shown great promise, which can be backed up by his point-per-game production while playing for the Toronto Marlies last season. Up to this point, however, Robertson's biggest struggle has been remaining healthy. Obviously, injuries happen and are an unfortunate occurrence for all professional athletes. However, when you are the size that Robertson is in a contact sport, health concerns can pile up in a hurry.
Injury concerns aside, I remain high on Nick Robertson and if I had to make a prediction right now, I would venture to guess that he will be a regular player in the Leafs' lineup either by the end of this year or the beginning of the 2023-2024 campaign.
As Kyle Dubas and the management team continue to work their salary cap magic, they will try and utilize as many of the young players that are still in their entry-level contacts as possible. Robertson surely fits this bill as he carries a cap hit of only $796,667, which runs until the end of the 2023-2024 season, as per CapFriendly. This would surely help free up some cap space for when the time comes to begin contract negotiations with some of the other players on the team - namely, Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
The ball really is in the court of the Arcadia, California native. If he is able to remain healthy, 2022-2023 could end up being a season to remember. However, if Robertson ends up plagued by injuries yet again, it might just end up being a season to forget. If the injury bug bites Robertson once again, one would have to think that Dubas will begin to question the winger's future with the team.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 5 | 337 ANSWERS Highly touted Leafs prospect entering a pivotal season; it's time to put up or shut up Will Robertson play more than 60 games in 2022-23? | ||
| Yes | 119 | 35.3 % |
| No | 159 | 47.2 % |
| If not, he'll be traded | 59 | 17.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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