Jason Robertson has emerged as a breakout star in an otherwise woe-beset Dallas Stars season. The 21-year-old forward has grown from a second-round pick, with a high scoring upside but questionable skating, into a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate. And the timing is no accident.
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf has chronicled Robertson’s transformation into the guy they call Robo, which began when he left the Stanley Cup playoffs bubble and turned to former coach Tommy Mannino and personal trainer James Gonzales. After losing 21 pounds and undertaking a training regimen usually reserved for running backs, he emerged as a stronger player with a new and explosive first step:
“For the decade that I’ve known him, this is the year that it was so serious,” Mannino said.