Craig Berube says Nick Robertson’s game has ‘dropped off’ but reiterates confidence in him
It feels as though Nick Robertson has been a healthy scratch for about half of his NHL career. The young forward has battled inconsistency since he entered the league, and although he’s on pace to play more games in a season than ever before, he will once again be a scratch after a six-week run without missing a game.
Robertson and Philippe Myers will come out of the lineup in favour of Calle Jarnkrok and Dakota Mermis, respectively. Head coach Craig Berube was asked about Robertson’s game and said that he’s slipped a little bit over the past couple of games.
Leafs HC Craig Berube gave a candid response when asked about Nick Robertson’s game right now.
“It’s dropped off.” Berube said.
Robertson has just one goal in his last nine games and has been demoted to the fourth line in the wake of some strong play from Easton Cowan, who is skating with John Tavares and William Nylander. Max Domi remains on the top line with Auston Matthews after recording five assists in his last four games. While the demotion likely points toward a numbers issue rather than a skill issue, Berube noted that Robertson’s energy levels have dipped over the past few games while expressing confidence that he’ll be able to get it back.
“I have all the confidence that he’ll get it back,” Berube continued. “To me, he’s lost a little bit of his jump and his tenacity he plays with, but, at the same time, that’s a little bit of ice time and getting the opportunity, too.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, who currently own the top spot in the Atlantic Division. In the name of parity, if the Leafs beat them tonight, they’ll be two points behind the Lightning despite sitting sixth in the division themselves. Robertson, on the other hand, has been known to score immediately after getting re-inserted into the lineup, so maybe this is just what the doctor ordered for him.