LEAF NOTES: Robertson's surprising schedule won't stop him from scoring

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Nick Robertson's sure-footed approach to guaranteeing 41 goals in 2024-25 is evident.

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Sit him every other game through the 82 games on the schedule.

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While it's debatable whether Robertson rates as an everyday NHL player, it's unlikely he'll let the rust build up in his free time. With Tuesday's goal in Newark, he made it four times on the scoresheet immediately after the line.

NHLStats doesn't go into the nitty-gritty of healthy scratches in its database, but it was able to determine that Robertson is one of two players this season who, health-wise or otherwise, is productive after a night in the press box. The second is Pavel Dorofeev, a winger of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Robertson, 22, is coming off his best season yet with 13 goals in 52 games, looking to complement his obvious goal-scoring abilities with the two-way game required of all regular players, especially in the playoffs. His already tenuous hold on the bottom six on the left wing will be further complicated when Kalle Jarnkrok returns with a hand injury at the end of the month, leading to even more involvement.

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But Robertson, who has survived several nagging injuries and trade rumors that could have baffled the rookie, isn't about to sulk about his fate with the Leafs. He has repeatedly said that he approaches every game day like a regular.

“When you miss a couple of games, you feel out of rhythm,” Robertson told the media in Newark on Tuesday. “But I've done it a few times. After your first shift, I feel like I'm playing.”

Coach Sheldon Keefe loves the attitude.

“I told him every time he came out all season, it wasn't because of what he did (wrong). It's the fact that he's on a really good team with depth. Get ready, that was the last message when we took it out and it's like we're going into the playoffs.

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“A big goal tonight got us going (the Leafs for the first time since Jersey put them on their heels). Sometimes when you're in and out of the lineup, you can overthink things, but when you really zoom out, Nick had a great season and he stayed healthy, contributed, learned a lot and was more this season than anyone else. .”

POLL-AR FREZE FOR TORONTO

Never mind the press' pointers to peccadilloes with the Leafs, the NHL Players Association's annual poll could give them a bulletin board for the playoffs.

None of Toronto's players were in sight when the results were released Wednesday morning, with 693 players answering questions about the league's top players.

Oilers' Connor McDavid received nearly half of the vote with 11.58%, while the next three – Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov and Artemi Panarin – were all under 10%. Auston Matthews, the league's leading scorer, was usually mentioned as a candidate for the Hart Trophy in this group.

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When it comes to selecting the most complete player, in a season where Matthews' defense is often recognized, neither he nor Mitch Marner appeared above 2.5%, a category led by Crosby at 38.37%, Alexander Barkov (14.60%), and Anze. Kopitar (8.15%), McDavid (7.81%) and McKinnon (6.62%).

No Leaf was expected to have much support at goaltender and big-play defenseman, though Marner finished fifth as the best playmaker. Keep in mind that this poll is not tied to the Ted Lindsay Award, which Matthews won in 2022 when the union votes for the most outstanding player at the end of the season.

William Nylander was ranked second for the best on-ice dressing style (12.07%) behind David Pastrnak, with Matthews third.

FOURTH AND OBJECTIVE

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Any concerns about moving Matthew Knis to the fourth line on Tuesday were quickly forgotten in one of the best defensive performances of the season. With Ryan Reaves and Connor Dewar taking back-to-back rests, Keefe has Knysz in the middle with David Kampf and Noah Gregor in the crash. A couple of penalty kicks from Kneiss scrambling were tied.

“I thought he was great tonight,” Keefe said. “He was physically dominant, he got to the puck quickly. (The devils) could not bear it.'

Healthy scratches in Keefe's game and changes to the lineup have helped raise the overall energy level while cutting minutes for the top-heavy Leafs.

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LEAVES

The club has the day off before Wednesday's return date with playoff hopefuls the Devils at Scotiabank Arena. Ilya Samsonov is expected to win his sixth straight in net … Playing with Nylander and Pontus Holmberg leaves Robertson as the only non-Swedish player. He joked about their crash course in learning the language because Holmberg was slow to pick up English a few years ago … In addition to his goals, Matthews has a 12-game point streak … Defenseman Joel Edmundson could return. Thursday with an undisclosed injury.

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