It was a pretty underwhelming offseason in Toronto for the Maple Leafs.

The changes that fans were yearning for, after yet another first round playoff exit, did not come. The Leafs are trying it at least one more time with their core four that accounts for over $45 million.

The biggest stories of the hockey offseason in Toronto has been the moves the team didn’t make, and another one of those stories continuing to unfold with restricted free agent Nick Robertson.

Robertson and the Leafs have not been able to come to terms on a contract extension, now that Robertson’s entry level contract has expired. The forward is coming off a cap hit that clocked in at under $800K against the salary cap.

Robertson’s pro career has been very interesting so far. He made his NHL debut in the postseason, when he suited up for the Leafs during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

So not only did he make his debut in the playoffs as an 18-year old, he did it in that weird Covid bubble playoffs, playing the biggest games of his life in mostly empty buildings. He played 4 games in that run, scoring a goal.

It took him another few years to really crack the NHL lineup for the Maple Leafs, with some of that due to injury. He played 6 games the following year, 10 games in 2021-22, and 15 in 2022-23 before having his real breakout season.

Last year, Robertson was close to a full time NHLer. He played in 56 games for Toronto, scoring 14 goals and adding 13 assists for 27 points, which is just under a half a point per game pace.