Insider on Maple Leafs Nick Robertson: "Just Trade Him & Be Done With It!"

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to plug away with six regular forwards out of the lineup due to injury. And still, Nick Robertson is unable to get a foothold in the top six and really make his mark on this team.

That has left Leafs insiders & analysts throwing up their hands at the prospect of the 23-year-old's future in Toronto, with Justin Bourne of the Real Kyper & Bourne podcast just beside himself at Robertson's plight, and essentially calling for an end to his time in Toronto already, to put everyone out of their misery.

"If you can't put (Nick Robertson) in the top six when you're missing six players, then just trade him for a third and be done with it."@RealKyper, @jtbourne & @SamAMcKee discuss Pontus Holmberg on Auston Matthews' line at #LeafsForever practice.

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— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 26, 2024

"If you can't put him in the top six when you're missing six players, then just trade him for a third (round pick) and be done with it," argued Bourne this week.

To be fair, Robertson did go into Wednesday night's 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers supposedly on the "second line", but still only managed to get 13:27 of ice time, just one minute up from his season average. He was paired up, however, with a defensive center in Pontus Holmberg, and that again, led Bourne to question just why Robertston is still on the team.

"This, itself, is the reason to trade Robertson. You had the whole team hurt upfront and still couldn't use him in an offensive spot.

"He is supposed to be a goal scorer, and Berube said himself, 'that's part of his job, to score goals.'"

Obviously, that is not what Robertson is doing this season.

The beleaguered 'sniper' has only one goal in 19 games, after spending the summer complaining about his lack of opportunity over the years in Toronto, and asking for a trade. He was told he'd be given a new lease on life under new head coach Craig Berube, but he certainly hasn't done much with it.

It's an unfortunate development, after he potted 14 goals in just 56 games last season in his limited opportunities, with just 11:23 average ice time.