Flames 2019 First Round Targets: Nick Robertson
By Ryan Pike
4 years agoIt’s not considered an amazing year for Ontario Hockey League players in the NHL Draft. But there’s still value to be had throughout the first round. Could the Calgary Flames nab a potential diamond in the rough with undersized speedster Nick Robertson?
Scouting report
Robertson is one of the youngest players available in this draft class, with a birthday of Sept. 11, 2001 – that’s right, he’s a 9/11 baby. Originally from Arcadia, California (a Los Angeles suburb), Robertson ventured east and played for the Little Caesars program in the Detroit area before being drafted by the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. The 2018-19 season was his second full season in the OHL, impressive as he won’t be turning 18 until the first month of his third season in that circuit.
As you’d expect given his expertise, Brock Otten (of the fantastic OHL Prospects site) broke down why teams would be curious about Robertson’s potential:
Robertson is an absolutely dynamic play maker and creator. His puck skill and creativity are among the best in this OHL draft class. His edge work and agility are also excellent, keeping a wide base as he eludes defenders. Even though he’s undersized at 5’9, Robertson is tough to separate from the puck because of how quick his hands are and because of how he always keeps his feet moving. This makes him a very dangerous player on the powerplay, as he often draws multiple defenders to try to take the puck off of him. Robertson also has a fantastic shot; a wrist shot which he can get off very quickly and without hesitation. I also really like Robertson’s competitiveness without the puck in the offensive zone. If he does happen to turn it over, he’s aggressive in pursuit to get it back. In the defensive end, his awareness and energy level is not quite as consistent and his lack of strength limits his effectiveness here… If you’re looking for a high upside winger, Robertson is your man.
David St-Louis of Habs Eyes on the Prize summarized the exciting parts of Robertson’s game thusly:
Robertson’s work ethic makes him stand out from both his peers and opponents on the ice. He forechecks hard, backchecks hard, supports low in the zone and strides as fast as he can to get on offence — where he shines the most. He isn’t just a unique, undersized grinder. He is also a very skilled player. He goes to the corners and to the front of the net, finds the puck, and digs it out to attack the opposing defensive box using his shifty hands and size to his advantage to slip in and out looking for scoring chances.
The key to Robertson is tempo: the kid has a high-end engine and works his backside off. He’s fast, he’s talented and he really impressed me at the CHL’s Top Prospects Game in Red Deer with the passes he was able to make. In a crowd of really strong prospects, he stood out. That said, he’s small. He’s listed as 5’9″ and 160 pounds and he probably won’t get much bigger, so there’s a bit of risk involved with him given that the things he does in the OHL he might not be able to do against larger, more talented men at the pro level.
The numbers
In his second season in the OHL, Robertson had 27 goals and 55 points – scoring at just a smidge over a point-per-game pace. He was 71st in the entire OHL in points, 54th in goals. Compared to other players of his age group he was eighth in points and seventh in goals. At five on five, he was 11th in points and ninth in goals. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored at a point-per-game pace for the United States.
Compared to the other OHL prospects in this year’s draft, he’s statistically a notch below the higher-end players available.
Availability and fit
Based on projections and rankings out there, Robertson should be available when the Flames draft: ISS has him 30th, Dobber Prospects has him 25th, the Draft Analyst/Sporting News has him 47th, my rankings at The Hockey Writers have him 37th, Sportsnet has him 30th, The Athletic has him 25th and 30th, and The Hockey News has him 42nd. Our friends at Canucks Army have him as the 40th ranked player in the draft class.
The divergence of opinions with Robertson likely split on how likely he can translate his immense potential. He’s smart, fast and competitive as heck, which makes him a solid fit for the Flames. But he’s also a small left shot forward, and the Flames have a few of those already. Given that, the Flames might opt for a safer bet or a more stylistically-rounded player.
2019 first round targets
Egor Afanasyev | John Beecher | Tobias Björnfot | Bobby Brink | Simon Holmström | Pavel Dorofeyev | Anttoni Honka | Ryan Johnson | Spencer Knight | Brett Leason | Connor McMichael | Ilya Nikolayev | Jakob Pelletier | Samuel Poulin | Patrik Puistola | Matthew Robertson
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