Leafs lose top prospect Nick Robertson long-term

The Toronto Maple Leafs, by way of their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, have announced that forward Nick Robertson will be out of the team's lineup long-term after suffering a leg injury this past weekend in his team's game against the Manitoba Moose.

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The 20 year old former OHL scoring champion went down hard on the end the boards while trying to retrieve a loose puck and appeared to fold awkwardly onto his leg. It was immediately obvious that Robertson was in pain and the play was called dead. He left the game and did not return.

Here's the play in question:

Tough break for a kid who has looked dynamic to start the season with two points in two AHL games. In particular, he seemed to have developed real chemistry with Marlies off-season signing Joshua Ho-Sang. His assist on Ho-Sang's goal earlier in the game was an absolute beauty.

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Robertson put up give goals and 16 points in 21 games with the Marlies last season and one assist in six games with the Leafs, as well. He, of course, won the OHL scoring title in 2019-20 with the Peterborough Petes where he put up an incredible 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 games. Since then, he's been tabbed as the Leafs' next big offensive star in the making. But, with high powered players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander playing such prominent roles in the team's top six forward group, it has been difficult for Robertson to crack the lineup.

With that in mind Leafs' general manager Kyle Dubas devised a plan whereby Robertson would flourish in the AHL playing alongside borderline NHL talent like Ho-Sang and really develop some confidence before joining the Leafs full-time. You know the old saying, "You plan and God laughs" though? Well... that definitely describes Robertson's situation. Plan all you want, but an ill-timed injury can erase even the best laid plans. Here's hoping Robertson can recover with no lasting effects.