Nick Robertson calls Maple Leafs tenure a ‘blessing in disguise' after trade

Nick Robertson has new life in Pittsburgh and credited the Maple Leafs for giving him the resolve to believe in himself despite not getting a real shot in Toronto.

Before free agency officially opened up on July 1, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Nick Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a way to open up roster space and make sure they have the cap room available to sign players they felt would be a better fit in the lineup.

Robertson never really found his footing in Toronto and despite putting up career-high numbers last season, he was pushed out by the bottom-six signings and he was never touching the top-six. Now in Pittsburgh, he's got a new deal and a new lease on his career as he gets settled in while playing under Kyle Dubas - who clearly believes in him still.

Robertson's tenure with Toronto was polarizing to say the least, as he opted to ask for a trade request, threaten arbitration, was scratched several times, never got a fair shake, and was constantly at the centre of trade speculation.

Robertson's rollercoaster tenure with the Maple Leafs has prepared him for whatever comes next in Pittsburgh

But in all of that, Robertson is thankful surprisingly and his recent comments show that while things were tough in Toronto, he is happy that those struggles at least gave him the chance to prepare for anything that comes his way.

As a guest on TSN's Overdrive, Robertson mentioned that he's excited to start anew in Pittsburgh but that the Maple Leafs gave him the mentality to always keep his head on a swivel and work as hard as he can:

I was to get some term and to settle in and give me time to get some runway in Pittsburgh. I'm happy the way it turned out. I'm really excited.

[What he learned] always be ready, Toronto had such a talented team… and I had to be on my game all the time...but I think it's always a blessing in disguise because you can't get complacent. Whether you're up and down the lineup, you got to work your way to either get up in the lineup or to stay there.

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Robertson's likely going to get much more playing time under Dan Muse, and the potential for him to play with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin is certainly going to appeal to him. There's also word that Pittsburgh is trying hard to add his brother Jason too, so he could have something special cooking in Steel Town.

Reuniting with Kyle Dubas is Robertson's best chance to prove everyone wrong

We can certainly point to the coaching staff for not giving Robertson a real shot. He's only averaged 11:52 TOI in his entire career in Toronto, and according to Hockey Reference his career is more akin to relative unknowns like Al Karlander and Rob Klinkhammer.

For a former second-round pick, that's rough. But Dubas never wavered and always made sure to keep Robertson in play even if the coaching staff didn't. Now he's in Pittsburgh, and needing to add more youth to an aging lineup - Dubas went after who he knows best.

Don't forget, Robertson had 174 points in 162 games for the Peterborough Petes including a 55-goal season; the talent's there. But he is a slow starter and with Toronto unable to afford that, he was shipped out.

But the Penguins have more than enough room and space for him in their lineup, and he could very well thrive if he's truly given a chance to succeed.

Robertson has more than a few chips on his shoulders, and he's looking to cash in and make everyone in Toronto regret giving away yet another young talent before he blossoms.

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