Radio host emphasizes the need for one young Maple Leaf to step up following Tyler Bertuzzi's departure

If we trust the reporting, Tyler Bertuzzi was engaged with talks with the Maple Leafs until right before the start of free agency, ultimately signing a 4-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. This has left a huge hole for the Maple Leafs that they'll need to fill before training camp opens up in a few short weeks.

During a segment on TSN 1050's "First Up", Dave Feschuk identified Nick Robertson as the piece that the Leafs will really need this season. The problem is that Robertson has expressed his frustration with how he's been handled by the Leafs in recent years and has stated that he plans to remain unsigned until a trade can be facilitated.

"The Maple Leafs need Nick Robertson right now, I'll tell you that right now. With [Tyler] Bertuzzi walking out the door and that lack of potential for goal scoring out the door, we know one thing about Nick Robertson -- he can put the puck in the net if he is given opportunity. He has done that very consistently and if you look at goals per 60 throughout his career, he's a very, very respectable player."

The Pasadena, California native is coming off of a season in which he produced 14 goals and 27 points in less than 12 minutes of ice time per game. It's a reasonable expectation that with a larger workload, that production would only increase.

Robertson has long awaited a true opportunity with the Leafs, often being demoted specifically because he was waivers exempt. That's not a distinction that he'll have now that his ELC is up. Now that an opportunity is finally available, it's odd that he would request a trade now, rather than grabbing ahold of a roster spot and running with it.

Brad Treliving and company are in a tough spot here, as is Robertson. For Treliving, he'll have to do what he can to convince Robertson that he'll receive the opportunity he deserves. That's not easy to do when the player wants out.

From Robertson's perspective, sitting out in training camp is a double-edged sword. If he misses camp, he'll be a step behind everyone else if and when he does sign. On the other end of the spectrum, what if the Leafs don't oblige his trade request at all and Robertson sits out until December -- or perhaps even the entire season? He's missed enough of his development already. Missing more time is not the answer here.

This situation is a sticky one, to be sure. The hope is that the Leafs and Robertson can find some common ground and work out either a contract extension or a trade that brings back what the Leafs need -- a scoring winger that is still relatively young. With training camp beginning next month, the two sides will need to get together to try to find a solution to the problem that works for everyone.

Source: Hockey DB
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