After another disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs playoff loss, it's time to break up the core four forwards and that might mean moving on from Mitch Marner, who becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. As Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson continues to compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he's proud to see how far along his younger brother, Nick, is now with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his fifth year with the organization, Nick managed to avoid the injury bug that had plagued him in years before. That allowed Robertson to score a career-high 14 goals and 13 assists in 56 games with Toronto. "He had a great year," Jason told reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters [https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/robertson-feels-love-from-brother-happy-to-see-him-find-his-feet%7e2928157]. "He barely played special teams and a lot of even-strength minutes, so I'm sure his goals per 60 is pretty high." Nick finished with a goals per 60 of 1.32 which was fourth best behind Auston Matthews (2.44), William Nylander (1.47) and Bobby McMann (1.39), outside of a stretch where Robertson was sent to the Marlies for salary cap-related reasons. That continuous play is what Jason feels helped Nick gain some traction with Toronto." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVif0-UIpoM[/embed] "It's great to see that he's been able to find his feet, and score some goals," Jason said. "He's a goal scorer, right? So it's always nice when you can do that. And I'm sure he can, this is his first summer in a long time where he can look back at his season and not be hurt or anything, and focus on training this offseason and getting ready for next year." Nick has had various injuries throughout his professional career. In 2022-23, Nick sustained a shoulder injury against the Los Angeles Kings, which required season-ending surgery. In the two seasons before that, he suffered a knee injury and a broken leg. That's why he's only played 87 NHL games (not including playoffs). Robertson is a restricted free agent this summer. Because he's coming out of an entry-level deal, he does not have arbitration rights so there isn't a lot of leverage for the forward. The real issue will be figuring out a fair value for the forward. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related Report: Canucks Forward Dakota Joshua 'Would Be Interested' in Signing with Maple Leafs During NHL Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-canucks-forward-dakota-joshua-would-be-interested-in-signing-with-maple-leafs-during-nhl-free-agency] Report: Maple Leafs Not Offering Prospect Brandon Lisowsky Contract, Will Re-Enter NHL Draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-maple-leafs-not-offering-prospect-brandon-lisowsky-contract-will-re-enter-nhl-draft] Reports: Mike Yeo Likely to Land With Senators, Not Maple Leafs, Could Mark Savard Return to Junior? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/reports-mike-yeo-likely-to-land-with-senators-not-maple-leafs-could-mark-savard-return-to-junior] News from THN.com Deja Vu: Oilers Could Repeat History After Nugent-Hopkins Helps Team Take 3-2 Lead [https://thehockeynews.com/news/deja-vu-edmonton-oilers-could-repeat-history-after-nugent-hopkins-helps-team-take-3-2-lead] Rangers and Panthers Have Brick Walls in Net, But Who Has the Edge Right Now? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-playoffs-rangers-and-panthers-have-brick-walls-in-net-but-who-has-the-edge-right-now] Forget About Long Term: What Do the Oilers Do with Darnell Nurse Right Now? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/forget-about-long-term-what-do-the-oilers-do-with-darnell-nurse-right-now]
