After short stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs during his tenure, Nick Robertson's goal to win a roster spot out of training camp remains the same. But this time he might actually do it.
Nick Robertson was asked if the retirement of veteran forward Jason Spezza and other moves might open the door for the 21-year-old to start this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He couldn't contain the smile and partial laugh before the question ended.
"I was trying to make the team even when I was drafted three years ago," Robertson said. "I know that I'm confident in myself that I am that caliber of a player to play with the Leafs."
One year ago, Robertson was the most NHL-experienced player to suit up for the club's rookie tournament in Traverse City, Michigan and that is the case once again after a season riddled with injury and his performance limited the American forward to just 10 games with the Leafs.
Spending most of his time with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, Robertson scored 16 goals and had 28 points in 28 games, showing at the best of times that he might be too prolific for the AHL.
"My goal is obviously not to go back to the American (Hockey League), the goal is to play in the NHL like it is every year," Robertson said. "Nothing has changed."
While his goal hasn't deviated, his appearance has. Robertson's off-season training in Los Angeles consisted of putting on some weight to better withstand the rigors of the NHL.
At one point, Robertson, who was last listed at 164 pounds built himself up to 185 pounds before scaling things back down.
"I got a little thicker in the legs and upper body," Robertson said. "I'm working on being stable on the ice as well as just maintaining my shot and using it as a weapon a lot."
Since returning to Toronto this past Sunday, Robertson has been skating at Toronto's practice facility with other members of the team.
The difference has been noticed.
"I can tell you seeing him on Day 1 and the last couple of days, he prepared himself well," Maple Leafs assistant coach Manny Malhotra said of Robertson. "He looks sharp. You can see that he has the hunger to want to perform and succeed with his goals."
Robertson didn't sacrifice the added muscle for conditioning. He says his bike test was "through the roof" and he's found that the build he wants going into this year.
But he'll have some heavy competition.
While players like Spezza might be gone, newcomers Calle Jarnkrok, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Adam Gaudette are battling for depth forward positions. There are also returnees Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford and Joey Anderson to contend with.
But if Robertson can find that element that was missing to become a consistent NHLer, this could be the year he pulls off.
"Just maintaining that level of professionalism, that peak performance level on a day-to-day basis and not having those valleys and peaks and understanding the game," Malhotra said of what he thinks it takes to make it to the next level. "Applying systems positionally being in the right place at the right time and making the plays that you're expected to make."
With the Maple Leafs under a bit of a salary cap crunch, the only thing that could potentially get in Robertson's way is that he remains eligible to be sent down without requiring waivers. If it's a toss-up between a player like Robertson and one of the veteran players at camp, Robertson could be sent down strictly for roster management purposes. It's just a small hurdle on the road to becoming an everyday NHLer, which is why Robertson has to outperform his counterparts when training camp opens next week.
But for now, Robertson's road begins in Traverse City for the team's prospect tournament, where anything other than a dominating performance could be seen as a disappointment.
"He's a young man that loves hockey," Marlies GM Ryan Hardy said. "I think he's very much knocking on the doorstep.""