Changes Made: Was Roberston’s Extension Worth It?
This past summer, there was a lot of talk surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs. They made a lot of major moves this offseason. Getting a new coach, signing new people, extending contracts, and trades. With the preseason coming to an end, It would be good to take a look at some of the changes made. First off, the new coach, Craig Berube. He was a Toronto Maple Leafs alum, and now, at the age of 58, he is back and in the coaching position. He certainly has his work cut out for him, as the Leafs have not gotten past the first round of playoffs since 2004.
Another change made this summer was the team's captain. The previous was John Tavares, aka Johnny Toronto. Now he has been pushed down to assistant captain with the capital “A” on his jersey. Auston Matthews is his replacement. This was an expected move among fans and commentators. Matthews has been a star since his first game and is only improving. There is no doubt that he will only excel as captain going forward. We’ll see if he continues his work with the Leafs after his contract ends in the 2027-28 season.
This summer’s hot topic, and maybe the most discussed, with the Maple Leafs was the potential extension of Nicholas Robertson’s contract. Many were against it, some were for it, and the discussion between Robertson and the Leafs was a mystery to the public. This past month, there was a decision made. He has signed a one-year contract with a $875,000 cap. So, was this the right move to make for the team and staff?
Robertson was the Team’s pick in the 2019 draft, in the second round. He was a promising player with a lot of potential. His first game playing with the Leafs was in the 2020-2021 season, where he played only six games before COVID-19 hit the NHL. Since then, he slowly added more games to his regular season runs with Toronto. This past season, 2023-24, He had a total of 56 games played of the regular 82, which is a great improvement for the young player. With his new contract, we can expect to see him on the ice even more. We are already starting to see his impact on the team, even in the preseason.
Yesterday, the Toronto Maple Leafs played against the Detroit Red Wings. They won 2-0, and Nicholas Robertson got them both goals. This is a fantastic preview of the regular season for him. With only one game left to go before the regular games start, critics of Robertson have shown his abilities and that he is worth the contract and money. We will just have to see if he stays this good for the rest of his contract.
