Just over two months after Leafs RFA winger Nick Robertson requested a trade out of Toronto, he still remains both unsigned and un-traded. Would he be better off just sticking with the Leafs?

The closer we get to training camp, the more Nick Robertson should be worrying.

Two months after The Athletic's Chris Johnston reported that Robertson had requested a trade, the 22-year-old RFA winger remains unsigned. And considering how little leverage Robertson has given he isn't arbitration eligible, nor a viable offer sheet candidate, that's not all that surprising. Better yet, Leafs GM Brad Treliving doesn't seem keen on moving Robertson and even if he did, Robertson's trade value isn't at its peak. 

Despite recording a career-high 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games — a 21-goal, 40-point pace across an 82-game season — the 2019 second-round pick is still relatively unproven. No team is offering premium assets for a streaky scorer with warts in his all-around game, not to mention a lengthy injury history.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter how unhappy Robertson is. The Leafs just aren't going to trade him. They need him. Though he may not see it, Robertson sort of needs the Leafs, too. His best way out of Toronto is by sticking with Toronto, at least for this next season.

Robertson isn't a polished product, although his upside is palpable.

The 5-foot-9 natural goal-scorer has a wicked wrist shot that can beat goalies cleanly from mid-range or close range. He's not lightning fast but he's capable of creating chances in transition and his nose for the net helps him pounce on loose pucks in front. That said, Robertson's strengths haven't shined enough consistently to overcompensate for his defensive shortcomings, which played a huge role in him being a healthy scratch 13 times during the regular season and in Game 7 of Toronto's first-round series. 

While most high-end scorers cheat the game a bit defensively, you've got to be producing to get that leeway. With the Leafs losing Tyler Bertuzzi in free agency, Robertson finally has an inside track to earn a top-six spot. Or, at the very least, get a healthier dose of power-play time. 

Robertson will still need to refine his all-around game to earn those extra looks and doing so will help him in the long run. Flawed high-volume scorers are a dime-a-dozen, but if Robertson can prove that he can provide value in a top-six, he'd be upgrading his overall stock for his next deal elsewhere. 

Even carving out a bottom-six role for the Leafs, as opposed to being a top-six forward on a bottom-feeder team, could better serve him for his next deal. Scoring around 20 goals for a team like the San Jose Sharks or Columbus Blue Jackets wouldn't necessarily lead to Robertson getting a hefty raise the following summer. As we saw with Alex Nylander — who couldn't land an NHL deal this summer after scoring 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games with Columbus — and Daniel Sprong — a one-dimensional shooter who, yet again, wasn't signed early into free agency — there's not much currency to players who record inflated point totals on non-competitive teams.

Staying with the Leafs, and buying into his new coach Craig Berube's hard-nosed style of play would do wonders in changing the leaguewide perception of Robertson. And if he can gain Berube's trust, Robertson could position himself to be next-in-line for a spot on the team's first power play unit, should one of the team's 'Core 4' forwards get injured at any point.

Furthermore, Robertson simply can't afford to sit out. Injuries have limited him to just 147 games over the last four seasons — 87 in the NHL, 60 in the AHL — and holding out for any part of next season would only stunt his growth. Robertson is going to need reps if he wants to raise his stock, internally or externally, and with the opportunities Toronto has this year, he'd be foolish to hold out.