Recent photo shows Leafs prospect coming into training camp in excellent shape

9/11 is more than just another day in history for Maple Leafs prospect Nicholas Robertson. It's also his birthday. Born, September 11th, 2001 in Arcadia, California, Robertson's life began under a very unfortunate set of circumstances, not only because of the attack on the "Twin Towers", but also because Robertson was born to an emergency C-section at just 28 weeks, weighing in at just 3 pounds, 2 ounces.

The odds were stacked against Nick back then, with doctors telling his father, Hugh, at the time that there was nothing they could do for his premature baby boy. It was up to Nick to fight, and fight he did. After spending an entire month in intensive care, against the odds, Robertson had survived.

Well, now the odds are stacked against him once again - this time with regard to his NHL career. Robertson has dealt with a bevy of significant injuries during his young pro career, following a very successful junior career that had many earmarking him as a future star. However, a series of freak injuries led to a number of substantial setbacks in his development and has Robertson's back against the wall yet again.

After a fantastic preseason in 2022-23, Robertson, despite deserving to make the Leafs out of training camp, was sent down to the Toronto Marlies due to the Leafs' cap situation and Robertson being waiver exempt. This fall, the situation seems similar in that the Leafs are expected, once again, to be tight against the cap and the fact that he's waiver exempt could mean that Robertson begins the season in the AHL again this year, regardless of if he deserves to make the team or not. Still, that hasn't stopped Nick from preparing himself to put on a show at camp.

Robertson had taken up boxing this summer to help with his recovery from shoulder surgery last season. He's now fully healthy and has continued to put in the work all summer. Even this past week, Robertson has continued to grind away at the gym with his older brother, Stars winger Jason Robertson, trying to get stronger and allowing himself to arrive at camp in peak physical condition.

Robertson is much smaller in stature than his brother Jason, who stands 6'3 and weighs 200 lbs. Nick stands just 5'9, but has some bulk to him at 183 lbs. These numbers are last season's as well, so it's possible that Nick has bulked up even more.

Defying the odds aren't just something Robertson has had to do throughout his entire hockey career. He's had to defy the odds for his entire life. Regardless of what the odds say, we certainly shouldn't count him out. If he can stay healthy and if he can put together a solid training camp, perhaps we'll see Robertson finally emerge as the young star everyone thought he'd be when he scored 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 OHL games back in 2019-20.