"The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and they'll need a boost. Just like every team across the league, the Leafs could use a little spark of energy after being off the ice for so long and they might have the perfect spark plug. Nick Robertson. In his recent Leafs' mailbag, Sportsnet's Luke Fox explained why Robertson has such a huge shot at cracking the Game 1 lineup. "Despite being the Leafs' only Phase 2 and 3 training camp invitee without a single game of pro experience, Robertson has the best chance of cracking the Game 1 lineup versus Columbus. The struggle to spark enough offence from the third line gives the left winger a chance, even at age 18.
Dubas said Robertson is invited to the small-group and team training. Anything beyond that, he'll have to earn. I don't think the GM would dangle that carrot if he's not serious. So, sure, I can see Robertson playing higher up the lineup than Jason Spezza, Frederik Gauthier and Pierre Engvall.Spezza's experience and face-off prowess should keep him on the fourth line, as should Engvall's penalty-killing ability. With no travel in the return-to-play plan and the NHL not ruling out the possibility of some back-to-back games, perhaps Spezza and Gauthier could platoon some games early on.
Robertson is Leafs Nation's shiny new obsession. A couple losses or a failure to generate offence with him on the sidelines will no doubt rile the masses. With Sheldon Keefe at the helm, however, fans should expect more line-combo flexibility both within games and between games."What do you think of Fox's comments?"
