TSN: Darren Dreger on TSN 1050 Radio on the latest involving Nick Robertson and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Aaron Korolnek: “Darren, another contract situation that is top of mind for Maple Leaf fans and the Toronto Maple Leafs is Nick Robertson, who remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
We know he wanted out over the summer. To this point, nothing has happened on that front. What’s the latest with Robertson in the Leafs?”
Dreger: “Yeah, so I believe, I believe, that they’re going to get something done. That Nick Robertson is likely going to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. And this was a process, and that’s a word that we always use right around free agency in certain times of the year related to contracts.
Robertson has own personal reasons. Whether it was under the guidance of Sheldon Keefe or maybe he just felt like he wasn’t the right fit, that he was being miscast, or it wasn’t being given opportunity in Toronto.
I know that he had conversation with Craig Berube, the new coach of the Maple Leafs, and Berube assured him that, look, take a look at our left side, man. Like there’s nothing but opportunity in this lineup, with the holes that, that they have there. And I know that Berube assured Nick Robertson that he’d, he’d be given a chance.
They like the skill set, you know, as long as the hockey Gods smiled down on him and he can stay healthy, why wouldn’t you want to fight for a spot in the top-six, top nine? Of course…”
Colaiacovo: “Make no sense. make no sense his situation”
Dreger: “Yeah, he should want to do that, but again, Carlo, I, I think they’re going to get something done. I think that this has been managed properly. Yeah, it’s been a slow play. I’m sure that Treliving, because he’s involved in every trade-related conversation has explored what sort of interest there is and Nick Robertson across the league. And frankly, I don’t think there was a ton of interest.
That’s not to say he’s not a good player, or won’t be a really good player, but it sounds like you know he’s, he’s leaning more to recognizing what he has in Toronto and making the best of the situation. So that’s probably going to kind of sort itself out in the days ahead here.
Yeah, let’s hope so, because we’ve talked about this at length. Dregs that Robertson probably hasn’t had a better situation in front of him than this one year. I mean, he’s got waivers. They can’t they can’t send them down to the minors without losing them. They got all this opportunity.
We talk about looking for a left winger, and there’s talks about bringing in different guys on, on PTOs and stuff like that. But for Robertson, I mean, this in Toronto makes the best sense for him, versus getting an opportunity on like a terrible team. So let’s hope to find a way to work it out.”
