The Maple Leafs have dealt a major blow to their forward group in recent weeks in the form of injuries and a suspension in the case of forward Ryan Reaves, which in theory should pave the way for other forwards of the organization to step up their efforts and get a few moments to shine.

This has indeed been the case for Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin, who have both excelled in a difficult situation, but one name that has been particularly under the radar during this period is that of striker Nicholas Robertson.

You’d think this would be the perfect time for Robertson to finally take the step forward he clearly feels capable of, but when it comes to the scoresheet, Robertson has largely been a ghost. Robertson has only scored one goal in his 17 games this season and, despite some obvious holes in the lineup as of late, Robertson has failed to step up and produce when it matters most .

This from a player who requested a trade over the summer due to a lack of opportunities with the Maple Leafs.

Recently, National Hockey League member Pierre LeBrun had a conversation with Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, and one of the topics discussed was Robertson’s recent slump. Although Treliving admitted he would like to see more from Robertson, he admitted he was happy with the progress the striker has made this season.

“You can tell he’s struggling because there’s (no) production – the puck didn’t go in – but if his game was exactly the same as before but a few more pucks were entrances, people would say Nick plays well,” Revivre said according to The Athletic. “Nick has made huge strides in his overall game – his control game, his game away from the puck.”

Treliving admitted that the team wants Robertson to produce more offense, but the Maple Leafs general manager also suggested that Robertson is capable of bringing more to the table now than just offensive production.

“What we talk to him about is that yes, we want production, we want everyone to score, but make sure you have a backup game so that if it doesn’t happen for a while , what else do you bring? » said Treliving. “You still have to contribute. I was impressed. He works like a dog.”

One has to wonder how long Treliving’s patience with the player will last if he continues to fail to produce on the scoresheet, and it may even be fair to question whether or not Robertson’s future will be in Toronto if his struggles continue despite the fact that the team’s recent problems at the forward position should have opened a window of opportunity for him.