William Nylander is being held out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup tonight, which provides Nick Robertson an opportunity to showcase himself while playing on Auston Matthews wing.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' weekend got off to a bad start on Friday, losing to the Buffalo Sabres by a 5-3 score. But things got much worse for Toronto when star right winger William Nylander suffered an apparent injury, leaving Friday’s game in the third period after he was cross-checked in the arm by Buffalo forward Jason Zucker and after he collided with teammate/Leafs winger Dakota Joshua.
There was no immediate word from the Maple Leafs regarding Nylander’s health, and he was deemed a game-time decision for Saturday’s game. Despite skating in warmups, Nylander was scratched in place of Calle Jarnkrok. He’s obviously a huge part of the Leafs’ blueprint for success, and losing him for any significant amount of time is something Toronto cannot afford.
Nylander's absence for Saturday’s rematch with the Sabres hinders the already struggling offensive game of the Leafs. But one Leaf, right winger Nick Robertson, could use the opportunities opened up in Nylander’s absence to either solidify a place in Toronto’s lineup or to showcase himself for a trade.
It won’t be easy for him, as Robertson was a healthy scratch in Friday’s game, and he’s appeared in seven games this season, generating only one assist. Thus far, Robertson is averaging 11:01 of ice time, nearly a full minute less than the 12:00 he averaged last season. In his most recent game, Robertson logged just 9:26 on 15 shifts. And that isn’t the low-water mark for him. That came on Oct.13 against the Detroit Red Wings, when Robertson had only 12 shifts and 8:40 of ice time.
If that doesn't tell you all you need to know about Robertson’s status with the Maple Leafs, nothing will. We’re not suggesting Robertson is going to leap into Toronto’s top-six group of forwards long-term and start challenging for the league lead in goals scored if Nylander sits on the sidelines. But tonight, Robertson is skating on the top line with Auston Matthews and Bobby McCann against the Sabres.
Robertson had a modest career-high in the goals department last year, with 15 goals in 69 games. He may only be, at best, a 15-20-goal-scorer, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
The problem for Robertson is that, whether Nylander is in the lineup or not, he hasn’t been able to seize the moment and establish himself as a day-in, day-out capable NHLer. And that’s why many people, Robertson probably included, believe he needs a new start on another team. And while Leafs GM Brad Treliving likely wants an asset of consequence in exchange for Robertson, coach Craig Berube isn’t playing him enough to create a hot trade market for him.
It all feels kind of unfair to Robertson, but in the Leafs’ defense, he hasn’t shown enough consistent upside to justify a job in Toronto’s top-six. On another team, the San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks, maybe Robertson could evolve into a high-end winger. But the end feels nigh for Robertson in Leafs Land, and Nylander’s injury could hasten the end of the line for him 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.