The Pittsburgh Penguins were the team that decided to give Nick Robertson a chance.
At the time, fans wondered if it might be about landing his brother Jason, too, but in the end it was a standalone move to trade for Robertson from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
So far, it looks to have been a rejuvenating relocation for Robertson. He’s putting pressure on opposing defenses early and often with the Penguins.
The Leafs trading Robertson away wasn’t necessarily illogical, but Pittsburgh can certainly still be the team that benefits.
Life Looks Good for Nick Robertson
The reality for Robertson is that getting to come to Pittsburgh and play with all-time great playmakers can be a boon for his own production.
It’s tough to beat playing with Sidney Crosby.
“As far as debuts go, it’s hard to have a better one than Nick Robertson did this week with the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Sportsnet’s Michael Amato wrote on Sunday. “Robertson scored twice in his first regular-season game in a Pens jersey, taking advantage of playing on the top line with Sidney Crosby. That’s not a bad place to be if you want to pad your stats. Nobody ever questioned Robertson’s shot in Toronto, it was more the consistency that kept him from cementing a place in the top six and getting more ice time. Pittsburgh isn’t as logjammed with high-end talent as the Maple Leafs were, so Robertson has a real chance to stay up there this season. And if he plays with Crosby, the sky is the limit.
Amato then wonders about a bold prediction: “He’s never even scored 20 goals before, but could 25 be in sight in a full campaign next to Crosby?”
As Amato wrote, Robertson always seemed like a guy with the potential to score more goals. Could Crosby be the key to unlocking it?
Bold Prediction
Amato goes on to write that he doesn’t believe it’s an overreaction to watch the season’s opening week and think Robertson could net 25 goals.
“We’ve seen Crosby drag plenty of okay players to respectable seasons before, and if you have some skill and savvy as Chris Kunitz did, you can really thrive,” Amato writes. “Robertson definitely has an excellent shot, and you can bet Crosby is going to find him in prime scoring areas if he can get open. Plus, Robertson played 15:02 on opening night after never averaging more than 12:40 during his time in Toronto. It’s clear the Pens want to give him a real look at the top of the lineup, and if Robertson can just work his way into some consistent power-play time as well, 25 shouldn’t be out of reach.”
More ice time, alongside one of the best passers ever, sounds like a good recipe for Robertson to keep scoring.
Maybe his continued contributions will make Toronto wonder whether it simply wasn’t using Robertson right, but it’s too late now.
Robertson is in Pittsburgh now, and he looks right at home.
Penguins’ Nick Robertson Verdict Reached After Maple Leafs Trade