Nick Robertson, what do you think about this Kid ?

Contenderorpretender

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Oct 10, 2017
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Considering he's barely been able to play hockey this year. You clearly see the skill. And his shot is awesome. Not Matthews level (nobody does) but probably top 5 on the leafs already.
 

Clark4Ever

What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Oct 10, 2010
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He is fine, needs to mature physically. Good motor, great shot. middle 6 winger potential.

My only worry is that our fan base WAY over rates him.

I think his ceiling is a top 6 winger putting up 50-60 points.
 

Rielly4

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Dec 12, 2012
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He just has to work on his forechecking game. He isnt as effective as any of the leafs on the forecheck. Guys like Engvall, Mikheyev, Kerfoot are all much better then him at puck retrieval. Once he figures that out and is harder on the puck in the corners he will be a stud top 6 winger with his skillset and speed.
 
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Teeder Keon

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Mar 11, 2019
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He just has to work on his forechecking game. He isnt as effective as any of the leafs on the forecheck. Guys like Engvall, Mikheyev, Kerfoot are all much better then him at puck retrieval. Once he figures that out and is harder on the puck in the corners he will be a stud top 6 winger with his skillset and speed.
Giraffe Pierre , is a vet and Robertson can play circles around him , even at this stage of his career
I’ll grant you obviously that the young man a lot to work on , but its not even close , Robertson is a real player and has balls that Pierre couldn’t fit in his Jock strap
 

cipher

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Jun 24, 2016
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Robertson possesses a number of traits that are NHL or close to NHL ready. His shot, offensive positioning, work ethic, skill are all elements that allowed him to excel in junior and will likely propel him to a nice NHL career.

That said, he does have work to do and it starts with his skating/strength on his skates. The number of times I've seen him fall down is at least double the next closest Leaf and some additional time with Barb and the staff will take care of this issue. The next biggest issue is probably overall strength. Given his size and desire to fight for pucks in the "dirty" areas he's going to need to get stronger so he can win more battles against NHL level defensemen. Again, I'm not too worried as this kid seems to have a great work ethic and I can see him continuing to improve in this area and others as he gets older.

I like that the Leafs are giving him chances already, but he needs more AHL seasoning before he's ready to claim a full time spot on this team. Everybody loves the shiny new toy, especially after they light it up in junior, but patience is necessary to ensure he succeeds long term. I'm Looking forward to seeing him develop and add to the list of internally developed players on this team.
 

TopCheese

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Mar 16, 2016
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He will be the Hyman replacement in the top 6 in a couple years once Hymans play starts to decline. He just doesn't have the strength needed for the NHL level yet. Gets easily out-muscled along the boards and is knocked over frequently. Not worried about him though, his issues are common for young players and are relatively easy to fix
 

justloveleafs

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Mar 12, 2021
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He has looked solid for a guy his age on a team looking to compete.

His skating and his edge work still needs to improve.
Knowing where to be as the trigger man still needs to develop against NHL level talent.

Honestly, I would show him as much Zach Hyman footage as I can.
Hyman has developed from being the grinding guy who plays 2 ways, to developing the offensive side.

If a guy like Robertson takes on more of the Hyman or Marchand mentality (not the dirtiness) he can be somethign special.
He is also still young enough to be given the time to try and develop that mentality at the AHL level first.

I have some hope for the kid, but his skating, will never be on Marchand's level. Marchand, like it or not, is a superstar.

I used to not like Marchand, but, the Leafs have never had someone like him ever. A rat face, a real dirty side of play, and phenomenal offensive skill.
 

TML1967

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Jul 20, 2010
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I have some hope for the kid, but his skating, will never be on Marchand's level. Marchand, like it or not, is a superstar.

I used to not like Marchand, but, the Leafs have never had someone like him ever. A rat face, a real dirty side of play, and phenomenal offensive skill.
For sure its a high target to aim at, but some combination/mid point of Hyman and Marchand should be the target IMO.
He already has a pretty high level shot, and a good motor.
 

sxvnert

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Nov 23, 2015
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Not ready for the nhl. Another season or two in the A should make a huge difference.
 

ShaneFalco

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Jul 15, 2012
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I have some hope for the kid, but his skating, will never be on Marchand's level. Marchand, like it or not, is a superstar.

I used to not like Marchand, but, the Leafs have never had someone like him ever. A rat face, a real dirty side of play, and phenomenal offensive skill.

Darcy Tucker was closest
 

The Iceman

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Sep 22, 2007
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Darcy Tucker was closest

Tucker was the gritty side of Marchant. Tucker did this side of the game better than BM.

The offensive side not even in the same stratasphere
Tucker year in and year out was a 20 goal guy
Marchand is a 35 goal guy

Tough nut to compare to as one of the top offensive players in the league year in and year out.
 

bishop12

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Dec 1, 2006
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What are you guys updated thoughts on Robertson? I thought his AHL season was underwhelming. Are people still excited about this kid and does he have a shot at making the opening night lineup?
 
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crump

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Great shot and motor. In small sample size in NHL I think he’s shown good speed on the forecheck, causing turnovers. I think he gets pasted too much though. Needs to develop awareness and timing after making passes and going for loose pucks. Another year in the AHL and he should learn all that.
 

acrobaticgoalie

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Jun 18, 2014
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What are you guys updated thoughts on Robertson? I thought his AHL season was underwhelming. Are people still excited about this kid and does he have a shot at making the opening night lineup?
Toronto Marlies 2020-21 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com
I wouldn't read too much into his production in the AHL. The Marlies were completely devoid of talent this year until Gogolev and SDA showed up later in the year. The fact that he was close to PPG on a terrible team as a 19 yr old was a good sign. Not to mention Greg Moore's coaching was pretty bad.

He is still a very good prospect. I wouldn't consider him a top 10 prospect but I view him as a potential 30-35 goal, 20-25 assist guy who will be a PP specialist and a guy who could be a waterbug on the PK.

I dont think he's ready for full time NHL duty yet. He gets knocked down very easily and also goes down a lot on his own. He could still use another year of skating coaching and working on his balance and strength. He also has a bad habit of skating himself into trouble making him vulnerable to getting hit. Give him a full year in the AHL and give him a serious look next year. The Marlies should have more talent coming in this year with SDA, Gogolev and Abramov being there full time.
 
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Wafflewhipper

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Jan 18, 2014
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What are you guys updated thoughts on Robertson? I thought his AHL season was underwhelming. Are people still excited about this kid and does he have a shot at making the opening night lineup?
Waiver exempt so he has to take a job at camp and that might not even be enough. Not looking good for rookies to join the team because the bargain players are even cheaper contracts than our Elc’s
Robertson and Anderson could steal a job but I’m not expecting they get much of a look. We could lose Anderson to waivers because was pretty good last season
I’m completely good with Robertson going to the Ahl getting top minutes another year and hopefully killing penalties too there
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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What are you guys updated thoughts on Robertson? I thought his AHL season was underwhelming. Are people still excited about this kid and does he have a shot at making the opening night lineup?

He's going through a transitional period of adjusting his game to the pros. Still should be viewed among the top few prospects in the organization.

He won't make the team to start the year, but don't blink if he's pushing for a spot after half a season or so
 
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All Mod Cons

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Sep 7, 2018
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What are you guys updated thoughts on Robertson? I thought his AHL season was underwhelming. Are people still excited about this kid and does he have a shot at making the opening night lineup?
So many people had him penciled into the top 6 for ages now. He needs quite a bit more seasoning. I don't think he'll be as good as many first thought, but he should be given all the time he needs.
 
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ULF_55

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He's going through a transitional period of adjusting his game to the pros. Still should be viewed among the top few prospects in the organization.

He won't make the team to start the year, but don't blink if he's pushing for a spot after half a season or so

I only saw him in a couple of games and he didn't look like a NHLer to me.

Wasn't he injured as well, yeah knee injury.

Well, he'll only be 20 in September, so no rush he has plenty of time to become good pro.

OHL Forwards - Most Goals per Game in a Single Season
 

justashadowof

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Aug 15, 2020
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Quit this nonsense of rushing him to NHL action to prove what a good draft pick he was, play him top minutes in the AHL and hopefully he'll start to dominate and flourish. The Leafs shouldn't be trying to develop a grunt here.
 

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