Eric Robinson, the 28-year-old winger from Bellmawr, New Jersey has had his ups and downs so far in his young career.
When people think of Eric Robinson, a lot of people think of him as a third or fourth-round draft pick, who has tremendous speed and can play the gritty, grinder-style teams like the Blue Jackets need. But the reality is, Eric, like his older, and much larger brother Buddy, went undrafted. He’s also been compared, some think unfairly, to former Blue Jacket Josh Anderson, mainly because of his size and speed.
Robinson spent one season in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 13-14 before taking his talents to Princeton University. He played four years at Princeton and was chosen as the Captain his senior year. During his college career, he scored 39 goals and had 67 total points.
Robinson chose to sign with the Blue Jackets on March 27, 2018. On April 7th he made his CBJ debut against the Nashville Predators in Nashville.
The 2018-19 season saw Robinson play only 13 games in Columbus and failing to net a point. He would play 45 games in Cleveland however and score 12 goals and totaled 24 points. In the 2019-20 season, he played 50 games for Columbus. He scored 7 goals and had 12 points. He also played 14 games in Cleveland that season.
In the 2020-21 shortened season he played in 56 games, marking the first time he would spend the entire season with the big club. He scored 8 goals and had 10 assists. He also was picked to play for the USA in the World Championships, playing in 10 games, and getting three assists.
In 2021-22, Robinson played in 67 games. He would go on to score 10 goals and total 27 points. Finally, last season he played in 72 games scoring 12 goals and 12 assists. He would also score his first hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres on February 28th, the first of his career.
Eric Robinson has been the topic of many people’s conversations. He is entering the final year of a two-year deal that pays him $1.6 million per year, and after this season he will be UFA. It feels like he’s been with this team for a decade, but he’s only played for the CBJ full-time for three seasons. Many fans wonder if he will get any better, but the truth is, he has been getting better year by year. Although his point total dropped last season by 3, his goals keep going up and he has been a valuable piece to that 3rd and 4th line over the last few years.
He may have another career year this season playing under new coach Mike Babcock. He plays well with Sean Kuraly, and if you add Mathieu Olivier to his opposite wing, that line could be the line no one wants to mess with. Adam Fantilli will need to be insulated to start. With Boone on the top line, Kuraly, Robinson, and Olivier on the third, that may be just what Fantilli needs to start his career. Rookies need some protection, even if they’re tough like Fantilli
Everyone in Columbus seems to like Eric Robinson, and with him being UFA, that’s going to make for some anxious times come 2024 at the trade deadline if he’s not re-signed. If he does have a good year, he may be shipped off for picks, and although he is a fan favorite, the CBJ have some very important RFA’s coming up and will need some cap room.
There are 50 days to go until opening night, and Eric Robinson is going to play an important part in 2023-24.