Robertson may or may not amount to anything but....

he was drafted in the 2nd round ...so like Debrincat his skill is recognized in spite of his size. Brown and Atkinson were late round picks ....gambles.

And, important difference ....Debrincat is a late bday. He basically played his 3 jr years as 17,18 and 19. Robertson is about as young as you can get within a draft class. He was barely 16,17 and now 18.
- The Law

It's going to be very hard for him given his size. Not a lot of NHLers at 5'9", 170. Less than 30 out of 700+ NHLers. The AHL is filled with small scoring players. Has been for years.

Usually you see top picks at 16/17 scoring like crazy. The "GPG for an 18 year old record" he's on pace for was set by Robert Cimetta. Anybody remember how his career went? Things can go either way. Scoring in the OHL doesn't always translate to the NHL. Corey Locke come to mind?

It's great that he's scoring a bunch of goals but that wasn't the part we need to see the biggest improvement from. Given his height, his weight and his strength is going to have to be through the roof and I've seen scouting reports saying his skating isn't the best either. Not bad but not as good as you'd want a player that small to be.

End of the day, it's a long road to the top if you want to rock and roll, more so for such a small player.

It's going to be very hard for him given his size. Not a lot of NHLers at 5'9", 170. Less than 30 out of 700+ NHLers. The AHL is filled with small scoring players. Has been for years.

Usually you see top picks at 16/17 scoring like crazy. The "GPG for an 18 year old record" he's on pace for was set by Robert Cimetta. Anybody remember how his career went? Things can go either way. Scoring in the OHL doesn't always translate to the NHL. Corey Locke come to mind?

It's great that he's scoring a bunch of goals but that wasn't the part we need to see the biggest improvement from. Given his height, his weight and his strength is going to have to be through the roof and I've seen scouting reports saying his skating isn't the best either. Not bad but not as good as you'd want a player that small to be.

End of the day, it's a long road to the top if you want to rock and roll, more so for such a small player.
- JohnFergusonJr

DeBrincat is a former 2nd round pick, scored over a GPG in his final OHL season, made the NHL at 19, is listed as 5’7 and 165lbs.

Robertson is a former 2nd round pick, is scoring over a GPG, will be 19 in September, is listed as 5’9 and 162lbs.


But I can’t say it’s even a remote possibility that Robertson makes the team next because it upsets a non-Leaf fan. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Troll away, UG, troll away...

DeBrincat is a former 2nd round pick, scored over a GPG in his final OHL season, made the NHL at 19, is listed as 5’7 and 165lbs.

Robertson is a former 2nd round pick, is scoring over a GPG, will be 19 in September, is listed as 5’9 and 162lbs.


But I can’t say it’s even a remote possibility that Robertson makes the team next because it upsets a non-Leaf fan. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Troll away, UG, troll away...
- Steven_Seagull

DeBrincat was and is better, that's the part that keeps getting forgotten.

The Leafs don't bring up 19 year olds for entire NHL seasons very often. The few guys that have are many levels above Robertson.

It's a dream.

Great job signing Engvall by the way. Leafs need a couple more guys like him. Big body, can skate, can shoot, plays any forward position, kills penalties. Perfect fit. Makes it so much easier to trade guys like Kerfoot and Johnsson for help on D.
- JohnFergusonJr

You want more guys like him and then go on to suggest trading Kerfoot. Kerfoot has everything Engvall has except maybe the large body but with a higher scoring touch. Why trade him then?

DeBrincat was and is better, that's the part that keeps getting forgotten.

The Leafs don't bring up 19 year olds for entire NHL seasons very often. The few guys that have are many levels above Robertson.

It's a dream.
- JohnFergusonJr

But you dont know that for sure. Robertson could turn out being better than Debrincat. It's still way to early to determine who will be better.

You want more guys like him and then go on to suggest trading Kerfoot. Kerfoot has everything Engvall has except maybe the large body but with a higher scoring touch. Why trade him then?
- Aaron_85

3.5 vs. 1.25 in a cap world could be why. I like Kerfoot's speed but his production has been pretty underwhelming

3.5 vs. 1.25 in a cap world could be why. I like Kerfoot's speed but his production has been pretty underwhelming
- PlatosRepucklic

We cant get everyone for 1.25 million. It's just silly to complain about not having enough of one type of player when the leafs have them already.

Itll never be perfect. Leafs will never have every guy outperforming his contract.

DeBrincat was and is better, that's the part that keeps getting forgotten.

The Leafs don't bring up 19 year olds for entire NHL seasons very often. The few guys that have are many levels above Robertson.

It's a dream.
- JohnFergusonJr

We cant get everyone for 1.25 million. It's just silly to complain about not having enough of one type of player when the leafs have them already.

Itll never be perfect. Leafs will never have every guy outperforming his contract.
- Aaron_85

I get it. I just think his point is maybe that if they now have a similar player to Kerfoot locked in, who is making significantly less, it would soften the blow of moving said player for an upgrade on D.

It's actually about having an abundance of a certain type of player and swapping one for a type of player they maybe don't have many of (like RHD), rather than complaining about not having enough of them.

I get it. I just think his point is maybe that if they now have a similar player to Kerfoot locked in, who is making significantly less, it would soften the blow of moving said player for an upgrade on D.

It's actually about having an abundance of a certain type of player and swapping one for a type of player they maybe don't have many of (like RHD), rather than complaining about not having enough of them.
- PlatosRepucklic

But his post wanted more players like Engvall though too. Kerfoot is like engvall so why trade him? So we get the D then all of a sudden we dont have enough depth up front? Shocking.

As an aside, Engvall has played 36ish games in the NHL. There is no way to know for sure if he can be a true center or if hes just a winger. Kerfoot has played center more and could possibly still do it.

Your point was a flimsy one, trying to say Strome led the team in points so therefore he was carrying DeBrincat. The one year he played with McDavid, considering he's an NHL MVP, you might have a point but you can't say Strome carried DeBrincat. DeBrincat was the one who has performed better in the NHL. The year Brown played with McDavid, Brown scored more points. Who was carrying who that year? By your logic it was Brown carrying McDavid. If you're so hung up on admitting wrongness, you can start here instead of the needless insults.
- JohnFergusonJr

For christ sakes....its about who debrincat was playing with. I never said strome carried debrincat. Like (frank) man...you are sp obsessed with being right you dont take the time to see what is actually being said.

Great job signing Engvall by the way. Leafs need a couple more guys like him. Big body, can skate, can shoot, plays any forward position, kills penalties. Perfect fit. Makes it so much easier to trade guys like Kerfoot and Johnsson for help on D.
- JohnFergusonJr

You're absolutely beaming over there. Look at that radiant smile: I can't keep my hands off of you, sexy.

We cant get everyone for 1.25 million. It's just silly to complain about not having enough of one type of player when the leafs have them already.

Itll never be perfect. Leafs will never have every guy outperforming his contract.
- Aaron_85

Engvall has been decent, but I dont think 1.25 is some sort of steal by Dubas. He has 35 career games. We need more runway on him to say that he is a steal at 1.25

he has gone pretty cold in the scoring dept. has 2 points in the last 12 games.

Engvall has been decent, but I dont think 1.25 is some sort of steal by Dubas. He has 35 career games. We need more runway on him to say that he is a steal at 1.25

he has gone pretty cold in the scoring dept. has 2 points in the last 12 games.
- senstroll

Playing center was probably a mistake there, but I think buy-low-now is a welcome departure from the wait-and-see approach to signing Marner/Matthews/Nylander.

Even if he tops out at a speedy 3/4 liner that can kill penalties, some teams shell out 2M+ per for "defensive specialists" well into their prime.

Robertson = chinese knock off debrincat

Engvall has been decent, but I dont think 1.25 is some sort of steal by Dubas. He has 35 career games. We need more runway on him to say that he is a steal at 1.25

he has gone pretty cold in the scoring dept. has 2 points in the last 12 games.
- senstroll

I like the signing.
It's a nice reward for Engvall, and Leafs might get a good 3rd line winger for a great caphit for next 2 years.
he can PK, he can skate, has a good hockey iq.
worst case they just bury his contract in AHL, that's 250k or so caphit for the team.

You're absolutely beaming over there. Look at that radiant smile: I can't keep my hands off of you, sexy.
- gravyface

This thread makes me happy because I feel it is a sign from the universe of Robertson's future NHL stardom, a million trillion times better than Debrincat.

But his post wanted more players like Engvall though too. Kerfoot is like engvall so why trade him? So we get the D then all of a sudden we dont have enough depth up front? Shocking.

As an aside, Engvall has played 36ish games in the NHL. There is no way to know for sure if he can be a true center or if hes just a winger. Kerfoot has played center more and could possibly still do it.
- Aaron_85

Engvall has size and reach and is two years younger. Kerfoot will forever be cast as the guy who replaced Kadri, unfairly so, because they're different players for sure.

I haven't kept up with the lines all year, but there has been a lot of rotation at 3C, with Kerfoot, Engvall, Spezza (and Nylander I think?) all playing there this year, which isn't the worst thing in the world considering our top two lines do all the heavy-lifting.

Back to Kerfoot again: 3.5M is reasonable given age (younger than Kadri) and ability (respectable points; plays wing/center) for a 2/3 tweener, much like Kadri was.

But in the trade that included Barrie (who drives people crazy with the eye test) who's doing exactly what he was set out to do here and is playing exactly like Barrie has played his entire career, Kerfoot is unfairly compared to Kadri now who brought intangibles that Kerfoot doesn't have.

Basically they're completely different players, but Leaf fans hate him because Kadri's gone.

But his post wanted more players like Engvall though too. Kerfoot is like engvall so why trade him? So we get the D then all of a sudden we dont have enough depth up front? Shocking.

As an aside, Engvall has played 36ish games in the NHL. There is no way to know for sure if he can be a true center or if hes just a winger. Kerfoot has played center more and could possibly still do it.
- Aaron_85

I don't think Kerfoot is like Engvall - I'm a bit lost on that part. I think Kerfoot is a better looking skater, but I don't know if he's more effective at it. Engvall plays a smart game with and without the puck.

Maybe he's been hurt, maybe it's just more evident because on a line with Tavares and Nylander he seems so ineffective - but when I watch Kerfoot in the last while he doesn't seem overly effective. He's defensively questionable. He's physically pushed around too easily. He is a decent passer.

He's on pace for 12 goals and 36 points, which would be career lows for him while playing a career high in TOI. It should be noted that he has dropped in PP TOI since coming from Colorado, and he did put up an average of 16 PP Pts in 2 years there; he is on pace for maybe 5 pts here. Those "missing" 11 pts are probably his discrepancy.

It is such a small sample size and there's not enough history to determine much of anything - and we haven't even seen how well Engvall would fare against better competition - but with less ice time, less ice opportunity (no PP minutes), poorer quality of linemates - Engvall is outproducing Kerfoot.

If I was betting on one of these guys being physically capable and intelligent enough to adapt to the centre role, I'd bet on Engvall.

Engvall has been decent, but I dont think 1.25 is some sort of steal by Dubas. He has 35 career games. We need more runway on him to say that he is a steal at 1.25

he has gone pretty cold in the scoring dept. has 2 points in the last 12 games.
- senstroll

Agreed. He has been okay... but seems to be a fourth line player at this point. At least he is better then Goat...

This thread makes me happy because I feel it is a sign from the universe of Robertson's future NHL stardom, a million trillion times better than Debrincat.
- Zezel

Other than being smaller, I don't think Debrincat is the comparison there anyway. The better comparison to me is still Brendan Gallagher. Undersized, but with a compete motor that doesn't stop running. He'll get under opponents skin. He won't back down. He'll go to the net and has the hands and shot to make things happen.

What sets Gallagher apart is that he's an excellent skater whereas Robertson is probably just average. He has been working on that part of his game, as well.

I know that he may be "too good" for the OHL, but he may also not quite be there at the NHL level. Honestly, we just won't know until camp. This is a guy who is more than just determined, so if he has to work on his skating and put on weight, I have little doubt he'll do it.

5v5 points Kerfoot
2018 - 26 (826min)
2019 - 22 (955min)
2020 - 21 (680min)

for comp.

Kadri
2018 - 32 (1107min)
2019 - 29 (944min)
2020 - 25 (643min)

i think Kerfoot has been full value.
Barrie/Kerfoot fo Kadri is a pretty fair deal


also, Kerfoot is on pace for 1072 5v5 min and 33 points
which is better than Kadri the last 3 years

Agreed. He has been okay... but seems to be a fourth line player at this point. At least he is better then Goat...
- Hockey_Reverend

Meh, he is easily a 3rd line winger. Has potential fo be a center but we will get a better idea of that as time goes on.

But at the moment, even if he turns out to be a winger, 1.25 for a 3rd line winger is a great signing.

Willie the Floater vs Roope "the Beast" Hintz tonight
I might stay up to watch the game