Jason Robertson's younger brother lands a huge opportunity in Toronto with Jarnkrok out of the picture
With today's surprise news regarding Calle Jarnkrok, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking to hand Nicholas Robertson a much larger role than initially anticipated. His big brother, Jason, has done wonders for the Dallas Stars' lineup, but Nick has yet to have a profound impact in Toronto. He'll now have that opportunity, as he's been slotted in next to William Nylander and Max Domi during line rushes on Tuesday.
Jarnkrok was not listed in either training camp groups on Tuesday, nor has he featured in any of the first 2 pre-season games, which had many wondering if he had been traded. He was a trade candidate over the summer to get the Leafs under the salary cap, but for now, the club has him listed as day-to-day with an injury that Sheldon Keefe revealed came up during camp last week.
Robertson has been limited to 31 NHL games across 3 seasons but did appear in 15 games last year, where he scored 2 goals and 5 points. In terms of his AHL numbers, he has done very well with 22 goals and 46 points in just 51 games but the injuries have derailed his progress and development some.
With the Maple Leafs tight against the salary cap this season, this could be Robertson's opportunity to strike. If successful on Wednesday against the Sabres, not only should Robertson feature in the every day lineup, but he could find himself in the vaunted top-9 that the Maple Leafs possess and render someone like Jarnkrok expendible.
It's anyone's guess at this rate how Sheldon Keefe will handle the offensively loaded lineup given to him. However, Robertson should find himself on the wing of one of the three ultra-skilled centres the Leafs possess - now that Nylander is attempting the transition to the middle of the ice.
Robertson has heard everything the media and the fan base has been saying about him and he is ready to prove his doubters wrong with a strong start to the 2023-24 pre-season. He looked good in his first appearance on Sunday, but he'll need to kick things up a notch on Wednesday if he hopes to force Sheldon Keefe's hand before the final cuts are made over the next week and a half.
| POLL | ||
Will Nick Robertson finally become an NHL star this season? | ||
| Not a chance | 36 | 35.6 % |
| I like his chances with that lineup | 14 | 13.9 % |
| He'll be fine, as long as he stays healthy | 40 | 39.6 % |
| Leafs suck | 11 | 10.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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