Nick Robertson's latest move in Pittsburgh has the Maple Leafs regretting their decision

The Toronto Maple Leafs let Nick Robertson go to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fourth-round pick, and that has already backfired significantly for John Chayka.

Maple Leafs fans were convinced that Nick Robertson was a stud. However, he was stuck playing Craig Berube hockey and never really excelled in the market.

There were numerous times when Robertson was a healthy scratch, which led to both confusion and frustration from fans. Now, Robertson is a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it appears as though he is in for a career year.

Despite being relegated to the fourth line with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte, Nick Robertson already has a whopping three goals in the first four games of the season.

It has been a tremendous showing for the young forward, and pundits on social media are already reacting gleefully to the mistake made by the Maple Leafs.

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Of course, the Maple Leafs got rid of Robertson because his salary was starting to creep up. He signed a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins worth an AAV of $3.25 million.

Given GM John Chayka's desire to beef up the bottom-six with defensive forwards, it is easy to see why Robertson wasn't in the budget.

Would Nick Robertson thrive under Jim Hiller

Hindsight being 20/20, one could make the argument that Robertson is well suited for Jim Hiller hockey. Hiller is known for offensive teams, and the Leafs' five-goal explosion the other night is proof of that.

Furthermore, Robertson could have been paired with guys like Colton Sissons, Easton Cowan, and even Gavin McKenna, who are having nice starts to the year so far.

Ultimately, it is tough to play Monday Morning Quarterback and say the Maple Leafs made a mistake by giving up on Nick Robertson far too soon.

At the end of the day, the season still has another 80 games to go, and there is no telling what Nick Robertson is going to do over the coming months. Regardless, seeing these recent performances still stings.

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