Leafs prospect Nick Robertson is making waves in training camp, wearing Mogilny's 89
Maple Leafs forward prospect Nick Robertson is not like most 18-year-olds who have been given an opportunity to join NHL clubs for Phase 3 activities. While a lot of his peers are coming in bright-eyed and bushy tailed and having a blast, Robertson has taken a bit of a different direction with regard to his opportunity.
Following his 2nd consecutive practice with the Leafs contingent of Phase 3 participants, Robertson gave the media a glimpse of his mindset surrounding his chance to skate with some of the league's very best, and it's safe to say that the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft has his head on his shoulders and his eyes on the prize.
"Practice is a business for me. Working out is a business for me. Sleeping is a business for me. Everything I do is for a reason. Some guys come into this league and have a good time, but I'm here as a temporary stop. This is just the car to get me to the NHL. Let's put it that way."
As the Leafs coaching and training staff have said, Robertson is a kid who enjoys being exhausted. He is an absolute work-horse and when you combine that with his skill level, it's a recipe for success.
Take this clip of him working rebound drills against a high-quality NHL-caliber goaltender like Frederik Andersen for example. Robertson whips home a couple and sends a trickler through the wickets before Andersen is able to wrangle the loose puck. It shows that Robertson already possesses an NHL-caliber shot. Even Andersen himself agrees that Robertson looks like a legit scoring threat, which is quite the compliment, given that Robertson has yet to see any actual NHL action.
Factor in some additional comments made by head coach Sheldon Keefe and alternate captain Morgan Rielly, and you'll quickly see that Robertson's skill and work ethic may just lead him to a roster spot sooner than a lot of people might expect. Perhaps as soon as the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have, after all, given him an NHL number in camp. Robertson is donning #89, which was last worn by future Hall-of-Famer Alexander Mogilny.
After registering 55 goals and 86 points in 46 games for the Peterborough Petes this season, Robertson could - and likely will - be an important piece for this Maple Leafs team moving forward.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 10, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Cutter Gauthier | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Alex Newhook | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alexander Killorn | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kirby Dach | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mikael Granlund | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ian Moore | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||