Robertson was loaned to the Marlies ahead of Jarnkrok's return to the lineup on Saturday night.
Robertson was loaned to the Marlies ahead of Jarnkrok's return to the lineup on Saturday night.
Nick Robertson has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies, but that likely won't last for long.
The 22-year-old forward was sent to the AHL on Saturday afternoon to make room on the Maple Leafs' roster for Calle Jarnkrok, who missed 13 games with a broken knuckle, and was returning to the lineup.
During Sportsnet's Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman reported that Robertson being sent to the Marlies was only to make room for the incoming forward, and wasn't a result of his play.
"The Maple Leafs informed Robertson this was purely because he doesn't need waivers and he shouldn't expect a long stay in the American Hockey League. He's still in their plans to come back this season," Friedman reported.
Robertson and Matthew Knies are the only two players on the Maple Leafs' roster who are waivers exempt, and with Knies playing within Toronto's top-six, Robertson was the likely easy choice to send down.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked following their win over the Rangers on Saturday what the message was to Robertson. He said that although he didn't speak with the forward about going down to the Marlies, he did have a meeting about why Robertson was coming out of the lineup.
"Obviously, Jarnkrok's coming back, that's that. But also guys have played well around him.(Pontus) Holmberg's played well, (Bobby) McMann's played well, (Ryan) Reaves has played extremely well," Keefe said.
"The message to [Robertson] is that the league is hard. It's hard to score consistently, so I think he's learning that. When you're not going to score, now your game has to be very well-rounded.
"That part of it's coming. But he's played well for us. In fact, a lot of his best hockey he's played for us is when he's come in out of our lineup. He's come in and given us a boost of energy and he's got energy and adrenaline and all of those things. That's when he's played at his best.
"His opportunity will come back around and he'll do the same thing for us because that's what he's done. Just keep working at it and recognize him coming out isn't a reflection of his play necessarily.
"It's more so a number's game, a great player like Jarnkrok's coming back in, and other guys that are in similar situations as [Robertson] have done really well, and the way their roles line up, they're not coming out right now."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJiv5B68oJE[/embed]
The forward has bounced all throughout Toronto's lineup, mainly playing in their bottom-six this season.
Robertson has appeared in 41 of the Maple Leafs' 60 games this year, registering eight goals and 11 assists in that span. The young forward — who's in the midst of his first fully healthy season — is in the final year of his entry-level deal, which carries an annual average value of $796,667.
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