The frustration is understandable to a degree for a skilled player who played NHL (playoff) games as an 18-year-old (we’ll put aside whether he should’ve actually been in the lineup) and has been yo-yo’d for parts of four seasons since. The temptation for a player with Robertson’s offensive toolkit to seek out more advantageous scoring-line and power-play opportunities elsewhere is obvious.
Robertson’s frustration with his playing-time situation seemed to come to a head in March last season; he produced five goals and 10 points in his previous 20 games while playing just 12:09 a night, but as a waiver-exempt player, he again got caught up in the cap/roster shuffle after Calle Jarnkrok returned from injury shortly following the trade deadline.