The Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie impresses on the top line, as Nick Robertson is once again stuck playing limited minutes. Is it finally time for a trade?
Seeing Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan's start to his NHL career has to be heartening for fans looking for a right winger to seize an opportunity on the top line.
The 20-year-old Cowan – fresh out of the OHL – has played well enough to stick on the top line alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. (For now, at least.)
But while Cowan’s early success is a feel-good story in Leafs Land, it hasn’t been ideal for young right winger Nick Robertson.
Robertson, 24, has long been pegged as a top-six winger for Toronto, but once again, he’s languishing near the bottom of the lineup, and the trade rumors have returned.
In five games this season, Robertson has averaged just 11:04 of ice time – the third-lowest average of any Leafs forward. It feels all too similar to his career ice-time average of 11:27.
Robertson picked up an assist for his first point on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. But in the Leafs’ game against the Detroit Red Wings, he logged just 8:40 of ice time, and he only had 10:35 against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
It's difficult to do anything with that ice time, which should tell you all you need to know about Robertson’s place in the pecking order with the Leafs.
Maple Leafs Reportedly Talking to Clubs About Possibly Trading Nick Robertson
Could Robertson be scratched once Steven Lorentz is healthy?
While he does chip in now and again with points, one assist in five games this season just won't cut it with where this Toronto organization is right now in its competitive cycle. His career-high 15 goals last year were decent, although with only seven assists, that production isn't enough for someone who was expected to fit in the top two lines.
Robertson has had his chances up and down the lineup. Most of his production last season came with Max Domi and Bobby McMann, while his limited minutes with John Tavares and William Nylander weren't as promising, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Soon enough, when injured Toronto forwards Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz return to action and help give the bottom six more of the two-way, physical factor the Leafs are looking for, Robertson will likely once again be a healthy scratch, as he's been so often in his Leafs career.
Consequently, Robertson and the Maple Leafs should be doing everything they can to find a new home for him. Robertson really has no say in the matter, so it’s on Leafs GM Brad Treliving to salvage some sort of asset and give the player a fresh start with a different team.
Why Easton Cowan Looks Like He Just Might Stick On The Maple Leafs' Top Line
It took two games for Easton Cowan to finally get in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. And another two games for the rookie winger to show that he has the skill — and tenacity — to potentially fill Mitch Marner's coveted spot on the top line.
Cowan, meanwhile, has averaged 13:19 in his first three games. He’s fared well, not shying away from the physicality of the NHL game and generating a nifty setup of Matthews and Knies on a 2-on-1 break that ended with the captain’s second goal of the season.
So Cowan is doing what is being asked of him. He doesn’t need to be the spitting image of Mitch Marner and lead the league in helpers, but so long as he’s productive on and away from the puck, Cowan is making the top line winger spot his job to lose.
In any case, Cowan jumping Robertson in the depth chart should be the final straw. The Leafs know it’s time to cut the cord with Robertson and let him prove himself elsewhere – San Jose? Seattle? – where the stakes aren’t relatively so high.
To get another chance on the top line, Robertson not only has to elevate his game, but Cowan now has to play poorly enough to open up a spot in the top six. So this will be very difficult for Robertson.
That’s why a Robertson trade needs to happen. He’s still got time to salvage his NHL career, but it shouldn’t and very probably won't be in Toronto.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.