This upcoming offseason could be deja vu all over again for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson.

With just seven games left in the 2024-25 regular season, Leafs head coach Craig Berube has found a lineup he likes, and has been sticking with it, leaving the 23-year-old Robertson on the outside looking in.

Robertson hasn’t played in over a week, Toronto has won three games in a row, and now it’s certainly going to be tough for the speedy winger to secure his spot in the Game 1 lineup for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s been another roller-coaster season for Robertson, who came into the year having to be convinced to rescind his offseason trade request. A road he could very well travel down once again this summer.

There’s a few factors as to why Robertson has had trouble staying in the lineup, and a couple are out of his control. Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann have both had breakout seasons, and are quickly being solidified as the best two left-wing options for the Leafs, not only this season, but looking ahead. Scott Laughton was brought in for a hefty package at the trade deadline, and his versatility to play down the middle, or on the wing, has pushed Robertson down a peg.

Pontus Holmberg is a more defensively-sound option for Berube, and he seems to have a leg up in the coach’s good books over Robertson, even though Robertson provides a huge upgrade offensively over Holmberg. Calle Jarnkrok has been better of late after a very long lay off, and is a player the coaching staff loves thanks to his consistent work ethic, and once he starts to find his offensive touch again, he’ll be set in stone on Toronto’s third line.

Out of the Maple Leafs’ 77 games this season, Robertson has managed to appear in a career high 62, scoring 12 goals and 19 points. He’s averaging more ice-time under Berube than he did under Sheldon Keefe last season, but in a perfect world, Robertson’s given a look among the top six, and is asked to be an offensive catalyst. Right now, he doesn’t have a role, he doesn’t have a home in the lineup, and it’s starting to feel like the pending restricted free-agent forward is going to once again ask for a change of scenery this summer.

“I know that I’ve showcased, and that obviously, in order to be showcased, you have to be somewhat put in a position to succeed,” Robertson stated to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic prior to the regular season starting. Right now the only position he’s being put in is the press box, in a suit, having to watch from the suites of Scotiabank Arena.

Once Max Pacioretty is ready to play again, he likely plays ahead of Robertson come playoff time thanks to his 78 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience. Pacioretty also brings much more size to the Leafs’ lineup, however, give Robertson some credit, he’s over a hit a game this season, the first time of his career. Another tidbit to consider is the fact top prospect Easton Cowan was not traded prior to the deadline, and is going to push for top-nine minutes as soon as next season. Robertson’s going to have a very hard time finding consistent minutes as a Maple Leaf, it’s been the story since day one, and the narrative isn’t going anyway anytime soon.

It’s hard not to root for the undersized forward, who skates as hard as any player on the team, and was rounding his complete 200-foot game into form after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. For now, Robertson remains an afterthought, on the outside looking in with the Stanley Cup Playoffs around the corner, and come this offseason, he could be headed for familiar territory, asking GM Brad Treliving to find him a better opportunity elsewhere.