Robertson states commitment to Leafs ahead of deadline: 'I want to be here' 

Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson, on the back of consecutive multi-point games, has embraced his new role with the team and stated his commitment to staying in Toronto.

With the trade deadline approaching, Robertson left no questions about his desire to stay in Toronto. 

"I want to be here," he said on Wednesday to The Athletic.

The 23-year-old scored a goal and added an assist in Toronto's 5-4 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, and scored twice in their 5-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks over the weekend.

"This year as a player, I think I’m better than I was last year,” Robertson said. “I’m more well-rounded and playing more, not like a rat, but being hard [to play against].”

The former second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry draft made his debut for the team a year later, but struggled to find consistent playing time and dealt with injuries in his first four seasons in the NHL.

Robertson played in six games as a rookie, 10 in his second year and 15 in his third - stuck in a constant jump between healthy scratch and being sent down to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

Despite playing in 56 games a year ago and setting career highs in goals (14) and points (27), Robertson was loaned to the Marlies in the middle of the season but refused to report to the team. 

The frustration with the demotion prompted Robertson to request a trade last off-season after refusing to sign a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

"It's been kind of weird," he said to reporters last season. "I've just been practising on my own while the guys were on the road and just waiting for my turn, I guess."

"He's faced a lot of adversity through his time with us," said captain John Tavares, on Robertson's comments. "Obviously has dealt with some tough injuries and he just keeps coming back."

The controversy came to an end in September when Robertson signed a one-year deal, and general manager Brad Treliving gave a vote of confidence to the winger.

Robertson turned his frustration with his playing time into motivation for this season, and the returns have started to show in the stat sheet and in his play on the ice recently.

“I made a decision that I want to play every single game. I want to be in the lineup every game. I want to be an impactful player and so far it’s working,” Robertson said earlier this week.

“I think [I’ve] just learned to score close to the net. I think it’s more of the grittier goals, more of like getting to the net type goals and using my feet instead of maybe setting up plays and shooting from one time or fanning out for a shot more and drive the net and shooting,”

Head coach Craig Berube has been encouraged by the positive results from Robertson, who is averaging a career-high in average ice time this season at 12:05. 

“I thought his game’s got better,” Berube said of Robertson. “He’s more involved and he’s being a tenacious player. I’m not talking about running around and trying to hit everything in sight. It’s just getting contact on pucks, get in there with your speed, create contact and get those loose puck battles.”

Robertson's two-goal output on Sunday snapped a nine-game pointless drought, and he sits at 11 goals and 16 points through 50 games this year. 

He's comfortable with the decrease in point production (0.48 points per game a year ago versus 0.32 this season) if it means he can earn more playing time by helping the team in other ways.

"I think I’ve evolved into a role,” Robertson said. “Last year I was trying to stay (in the NHL) and I stayed up. Now it’s about finding what my identity is within the team to be successful."

"It sounds corny, but buying the system, buying into (the idea that) if I’m not creating plays, not shooting the puck, I could get a bump on someone, I could get a stick up, I could clear the puck. I take pride (in that),” said Robertson.

The ultimate goal at this stage is helping the Maple Leafs confront their playoff demons.

The team has won only one playoff series in their last nine trips, and haven't reached the conference finals since the 2001-02 season.

“I want to be in the lineup every (playoff) game,” Robertson said. “I’ve started to see how I can be impactful regardless of my shot and playmaking (compared to) last year,” he added.