The Toronto Maple Leafs under GM Kyle Dubas have been proactive in getting their prospects signed soon after drafting them and continued that trend on Thursday with the signing of 2019 second rounder Nicholas Robertson to a three-year entry level contract.
Robertson had 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists) in 54 games for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes last season and since being selected 53rd overall, the 18-year-old winger impressed with Team USA at the World Junior Summer Showcase in July and for the Leafs at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament earlier this month.
Toronto returned Robertson to his OHL club late last week and it is expected that with a good performance with the Petes that he will be in the mix to make the US squad for the 2020 World Junior in the Czech Republic.
The feisty winger is the first of the Leafs 2019 draft class to be signed to their ELC, and follows the pattern that GM Kyle Dubas implemented last season by getting 2018 selections Rasmus Sandin, Semyon Der-Argushintsev and Mac Hollowell signed to deals in short order.
The Leafs are currently at 49 pro contracts after signing Mitch Marner last week, but Robertson’s deal will not count against the 50-contract limit or burn a year of his ELC since it qualifies for the entry-level slide.
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In his “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman puts a capper on the Marner situation, confirming that one of the clubs that agent Darren Ferris said made overtures of an offer-sheet was the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Marner camp was not willing to give the Jackets a long-term deal, which made them not willing to risk four first-round picks on a shorter-term contract, but Friedman said that other league sources believe that Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen would have circled back to see if the Leafs winger was willing to sign something had the impasse lasted past the start of the regular season.
Minnesota also had interest in Marner during the summer, but former GM Paul Fenton was looking more at a trade to acquire the winger’s rights and the Wild did not pursue things further after not making progress on a potential contract.
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