Nick Robertson’s Climb to the Maple Leafs Top-Six

Nick Robertson has taken advantage of his chances to force his way back into the Toronto Maple Leafs conversation—no whining or grand declarations. Just showing up and doing the work.

That’s been the story of his season, and really his career. Not long ago, Robertson was a regular healthy scratch. A surprising but familiar place for a player whose talent has never really been the question, but whose timing, trust, and consistency have always felt just a bit out of sync with what the Maple Leafs say they need.

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When the season opened, he was buried in the bottom six, getting shifts when they fit, sitting when they didn’t, and trying to make an impression in under ten minutes a night.

Robertson’s Steady Climb to the Maple Leafs’ Top Six

Early October felt like survival. He dressed, but it barely registered. One assist in the first four games. Nothing he did grabbed the coaching staff by the collar. And then came the first scratch in Buffalo. It was a reminder that at the NHL level, potential buys you very little patience.

When he returned, though, something changed. He scored his first goal of the season in late October, tying a game Toronto eventually won in overtime. It was timely. And suddenly the door cracked open a smidge.

November Gave a Glimpse of What Robertson Might Do

November offered a glimpse of what Robertson still believed he could do. He bounced between lines, even flirted briefly with top-six minutes alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. He scored, assisted, worked the power play, and for a short stretch looked like a player who belonged higher up the food chain. Six points in five games amped up his confidence and gave him a little more rope.

But the NHL rarely moves in straight lines. By late November, injuries healed, the lineup tightened, and Robertson slid back down to the fourth line, around 10 minutes a night. Then, another drought. By December, the familiar questions were back. Was he running out of time? Was this just who he was — a useful depth piece with flashes but no foothold?

December Didn’t Bring Fireworks, but Did Bring Persistence

Late December didn’t bring fireworks, but it brought something better: persistence. He snapped a ten-game goal drought and picked up a few assists. Then he scored again, all without getting more ice time. He played under ten minutes against Ottawa in a bottom-six assignment.

And yet, the points kept coming. Now, over a recent five-game stretch, Robertson put up five points. Two goals. Three assists. It’s neither a heater nor a headline. But it’s enough to force a second look.

And that second look showed something. He’s looking more comfortable playing without the puck. Less frantic and more physically willing to live in traffic and finish checks. The game seems slower for him, and that matters when your margin for error is thin.

Opportunity Came with Injuries to Matthews and Nylander

Opportunity is fickle. Injuries to Auston Matthews and William Nylander have opened space, and Robertson has stepped into it. His ice time climbed steadily from under ten minutes to nearly fifteen. They’ve also tried Robertson in different spots because he’s been driving play when he’s on the ice. He even got a look quarterbacking the power play, and he didn’t look half bad doing it.

There’s a bittersweet edge to all of this. Every goal he scores helps the Maple Leafs right now — and maybe raises his value elsewhere. This team may still be looking to add, and Robertson could be part of the cost. That’s the business side of persistence. Sometimes your best stretch comes right when your future is least certain.

For Robertson, the Climb Has Been Steady and Upward

Still, this matters for Robertson — a lot. For a player whose NHL life has been stop-start, scratch-dress-scratch, this stretch represents something real. He’s shown he can be relevant.

Related: Good and Bad News as Maple Leafs Updated on Several Injuries