Nick Robertson's Maple Leafs Future Unclear After Craig Berube's Candid Comments
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
In Craig Berube's interview with The Athletic, he admitted that forward Nick Robertson's spot isn't guaranteed, however laid out the path for him to make the team.
There is a lot of speculation as to whether or not Maple Leafs forward Nicholas Robertson is going to have a solidified role come the 2025-26 season. While the potential is there, his inconsistencies and lack of defensive game has hurt his ranking in the depth chart.
Why Nick Robertson's Spot Is No Longer Guaranteed
The additions of Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy and Michael Pezzetta; not to mention Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan nipping at his heels; there's a lot of competition with minimal space.
Which is why head Coach Craig Berube wants to make sure that if Robertson is going to make the team that he has the mental fortitude to do so.
In his recent interview with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Berube was asked about Robertson's role on the team and was blunt in saying that he needs to do more ahead of healthy competition:
There's a lot of competition at camp. I'll leave it at that. There's a lot of competition at camp, which is great. I think it makes for a competitive camp and that's what we want, because that's gonna get us more prepared for the regular season.
I don't have the answer to that right now. There's jobs available and again, it's a competition. You gotta come in and play your ass off and earn a spot.
I don't have the answer to that right now. There's jobs available and again, it's a competition. You gotta come in and play your ass off and earn a spot.
Duly noted, coach.
Leave it to Berube to not beat around the bush and be up front with what he expects from his roster and for someone like Robertson, it could be the kick in the pants he needs to elevate his game.
How Craig Berube's Competitive Camp Approach Could Decide Robertson's Future
The Maple Leafs are certainly going to have their hands full in trying to figure out their roster for opening night, especially with the likes of Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf being on the team still with no real place to put them.
Robertson is going to have competition even from the likes of Max Domi who gets pushed down the depth chart, especially if his experiment with Auston Matthews fails early on.
It's not like Robertson doesn't have the potential, as we've seen him torch teams before and even last year's preseason saw a serious amount of growth.
But when it came to the regular season he was as inconsistent as ever, and it took him several games to score, proceeded to score a bunch in a small sample, then go ice cold for the rest of the season.
That's not the type of production Toronto needs, especially from someone who struggles defensively, isn't that big, and while scrappy; isn't necessarily intimidating.
Often a healthy scratch last season, Robertson put up 22 points in 69 games (15 goals, 7 assists) but only managed to find himself in three playoff games before being scratched in favor of Max Pacioretty.
Signing a one-year deal for $1.825-million after nearly going to arbitration, it's going to be up to Robertson only to make good on his pay increase, and if he struggles yet again then perhaps the writing is on the wall for the young winger.
There's no free lunches on Craig Berube's team; let's just hope Robertson's hungry.
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