Will Nick Robertson Take the Alternative That's There for him With the Toronto Maple Leafs?

TSN: Chris Johnston on Nick Robertson’s standing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, that there’s a possibility for him, however will he re-sign with the staff?

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Jamie McLennan: “I wish to return to Nick Robertson. The place do you assume these talks are, or the place do you assume they’ll find yourself? In a scenario the place, I don’t, do you imagine, he’s a younger participant, 22, I feel he had what, 13, 14 objectives final 12 months?

Jeff O’Neill: “Properly, he acquired unhappy a bunch of occasions, and each time he got here again he scored.”

McLennan: “I do know, however what like, okay, so, what’s he? Is he, I don’t know what he’s as a participant but. Is he a 9, a top-nine? Is he a top-six? Does he imagine? The place do you assume he matches?

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After which, clearly, with each greenback counting, with them being tight towards the cap, like, not like they’ll provide him an enormous increase right here. So, you already know, the place do you assume this all ends? Or, you already know, the place do you assume that he can match? As a result of if they’re bringing different guys, they, there is likely to be guys that push him out of the lineup.

Johnston: “For positive. And you already know what’s distinctive right here, this doesn’t appear to be, you already know, associated to cash. It’s not as if there’s a breakdown in negotiations.

I imply, this commerce request was made, you already know, after he obtained his, you already know, you already know, after they retained his rights as an RFA and a (inaudible), and so, you already know, it’s not about cash. I feel it’s been concerning the alternative.

And, you already know, for these of us that don’t have any feelings concerned on this, simply simply watching from the surface, you already know, I feel you sit right here on the impartial social gathering and say, Okay, that is the primary 12 months you’re not going to require waivers. Sorry, you’ll require waivers to go to Marlies, so that you’re seemingly not going to go on waivers. You’re gonna be within the NHL.

In case you had a difficulty together with your taking part in time, possibly that was linked to your head coach. Properly the Leafs modified head coaches and Craig Berube is in cost now.

And so they’re simply not as deep, fairly frankly, on paper, as they’ve been in years passed by. I imply, I feel it’s fairly clear to see, Matthew Knies I feel can be a top-six possibility for them on left wing. Nobody else you possibly can say for positive. I imply, possibly Bobby McMann, coming off an damage, can fill that position. Possibly it’s a Robertson. Possibly it’s somebody who isn’t but signed, or a participant that finally ends up coming in on tryout.

However level is, there’s fairly clearly a possibility there. And not less than so far, Nick Robertson has been unwilling to wish to proceed and signal on with the Leafs.

And so, the place does it find yourself? I imply, I feel it relies upon how strongly he believes in his convictions. Does he, is he keen to sit down out, you already know, days, weeks, months, to show his level, to attempt to pressure organizations hand.

I imply, finally, that is completely different, even than many, a few years in the past, the place the (William) Nylander – Leafs get up, which, you already know, standoff, which was about cash. Nylander was a reasonably confirmed piece at that time. Clearly had room to develop, however was an essential member of the staff.

I imply, I feel nobody can say with certainty what Nick Robertson is for the Leafs. I imply, fairly encouraging to see the variety of objectives he scored final 12 months, 14 of them, 13 and even power. However, you already know, can he do it over a time frame? May he deal with extra minutes? Can he be in additional of a prime-time position?

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I imply, I feel he’s acquired to nonetheless present it. He’s acquired to show it. And the one means to do this is, you already know, finally, by taking part in someplace. And so you already know, he’s going to have nowhere to play, not less than in North America, if he continues to stay, you already know, agency to his his need to be traded and the leafs don’t commerce him as a result of they management his rights so long as he’s a restrictive free agent.