Ex-Maple Leaf Nick Robertson Is Scoring, But Not Playing

Hockey has a funny way of working. A young player can spend years trying to convince people he deserves a bigger opportunity. Then he gets one, starts scoring, and somehow finds himself right back where he started.

Robertson seems to be making the most of his chances.

That's the curious situation facing Nick Robertson in Pittsburgh. The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward has four goals in his first seven games with the Penguins. That's a pretty good way to introduce yourself to a new team. Yet his ice time has dropped, and he's apparently gone from playing alongside Sidney Crosby to skating on the fourth line.

I don't follow the Penguins closely enough to know exactly what’s happening, but Robertson's minutes tell a story. After playing 15:14 against Winnipeg on October 5, he logged just 8:32 against Washington, 10:10 against Columbus, 11:28 against Dallas and 11:26 against Chicago. That's a big shift in responsibility for a player who’s already shown he can put the puck in the net.

The Penguins might have their reasons. Coaches see things we don't. They look at defensive assignments, practice habits, puck management and the little details that don't always show up on a scoresheet. Robertson has had six giveaways this season, according to the supplied statistics, and his game against Winnipeg wasn't his best. Still, four goals in seven games is hard to ignore.

Perhaps Robertson needs more than a scoring touch.

Here's the part of Robertson's story that interests me most. Toronto traded him to Pittsburgh on July 1 for a fourth-round pick in 2028, then the Penguins signed him to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million. That's a meaningful investment in a player the Maple Leafs couldn't find a long-term fit for.

Robertson is still young enough to develop, but he's also at the stage of his career when opportunity matters. Scoring goals can get a player noticed. Earning a coach's trust is what keeps him in the lineup's more important spots. And perhaps that's the challenge in front of him now. Can he keep producing while showing Pittsburgh he can contribute when the puck isn't on his stick?

I wouldn't write Robertson off because his minutes have dipped. Nor would I assume the Penguins have made a mistake. Seven games is a small sample, and there's plenty of hockey left to play.

As a Robertson fan, I’m starting to watch his situation. I do hope Pittsburgh gives him a fair chance to show what he can do. After all, isn't that what a young player is supposed to get when he finally finds a new home?