Craig Berube is going to have some tough choices when constructing his playoff roster, but one forward has recently shown he deserves to be in the lineup.
With the Maple Leafs heading into the playoffs in a week, a lot of questions surround who Craig Berube is going to slot in for Game One. Will he end up scratching someone like Calle Jarnkrok, who has struggled, or even see the return of Max Pacioretty and find a spot for him in the lineup.
There are a few who can stake their claim for a spot, but if Toronto wants to give themselves a bit of a leg up, they should definitely keep one forward in the lineup who has really stepped up his game as of late, even after such a polarizing season.
Yes, you read that right. Of all players, Nick Robertson deserves to be in the lineup Game One. While it would seem a bit egregious to say that a few months ago given how rough his season had been, lately he’s become a much more aggressive player and it could pay off huge in the postseason.
Nicholas Robertson snapped pic.twitter.com/7VzpvWbg6W
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 13, 2025
Nick Robertson lays the BOOM. 💥 #leafsforeverpic.twitter.com/yCEFJUBFiQ
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) April 10, 2025
Using every inch of his 5’9, 178 pound frame to wreak havoc, Robertson has shown he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty while also laying the boom; an unexpected new addition to his game.
While it’s not a perfect option, Robertson would certainly add that much needed edge, and with Max Pacioretty coming back presumably for the first round, he deserves to start over Calle Jarnkrok, who has struggled to gain his footing since returning from injury.
While Robertson’s offensive production hasn’t hit the numbers he had last season, he did tie his goal output while doubling his hits and adding more shot blocking.
In 66 games, the young forward has 21 points (14G, 7A) with 33 blocks, 76 hits and a minus-2 rating in 12:01 TOI; the most time he’s skated in for his career.
It’s a huge turnaround from earlier on this season, where we saw not only a ton of trade rumors surrounding Robertson, but his performance was anything but good, so to see his emergence as a workhorse, it’s only benefited him.
Robertson has embraced being a third line spark plug and not trying to just be an offensively focused player and it may pay off huge for Toronto come playoff time. You need that extra edge and peskiness in the toughest moments and having Robertson willing to do the dirty work is a refreshing change of pace.
So give him the chance to show what he can do in the postseason, because when it really comes down to it: Toronto doesn’t have many options outside of him.
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