What Nick Robertson’s injury means for the Maple Leafs, Marlies and his development - The Athletic
Injuries causing concern?
It bears repeating: Robertson’s latest injury was unfortunate, and probably not something he could have prevented. One of Robertson’s best attributes as a player is his motor and his fearlessness. You’d want a player like him to challenge for pucks along the boards as he did before the injury was sustained.
What we know about Robertson is that he’s driven both on and off the ice, and one focus of recent offseasons was building up his strength to endure the rigours of NHL play.
But that drive has sometimes caused him to bite off more than he can chew.
Take last season, when dealing with a torn adductor, Robertson admitted “It’s pretty clear that I’m the type of person that likes to get a lot of extra reps in on the ice early, getting my shots in. And honestly, even when I’m hurt, I still like to do it. And obviously, that didn’t help.”
Months later, ahead of Maple Leafs development camp, Leafs senior director of player development Hayley Wickenheiser said of Robertson that “one of the secrets for him might be to dial it back at times a little bit and to just relax more into who he is as a person and as a player.”
Yet afterwards, Robertson remained resolute.
“I can’t tell you what a dialled-back Nick Robertson looks like,” he said.
His drive is an essential part of his makeup. But that same drive has led to questions regarding how his injuries may impact his future.
Some people I spoke to around the NHL about Robertson’s injuries believe his drive will help him see through another injury.
Others were less convinced.
“(Robertson) is not a lost cause, but I’m worried about (his injuries),” said one NHL scout.
“He has never been able to go through an entire season healthy at any level,” said another scout.
Both scouts also expressed concern not just over how Robertson would recover physically, but also concern regarding the mental toll that another injury due to bad luck would have.
That’s an element of the injury Moore understands and hopes to address.
“These are ultra-competitive people who just love doing what they’re doing and want to be busy,” said Moore. “And when you get sidelined, it’s hard psychologically. We’ll do a good job of engaging with him. And we have plenty of mentors and other players that have been through it to help them out as well.”