Robertson is out four weeks
Leafs take that ‘as good news’ after young star injures his knee
TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson will miss the next four weeks with a knee injury, the team announced on a pre-game Zoom call Monday.
And that’s relatively good news.
“He had an MRI (Sunday).” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “The results were better, considering … we’re classifying it as good news. He will miss four weeks, but we took that as good news.”
Robertson collided awk- wardly along the boards near the Leafs bench after taking a hit Saturday against the Senators in Ottawa. His loss triggered some roster moves in advance of Monday night’s home game against Winnipeg.
The Leafs placed veteran centre Jason Spezza and goalie Aaron Dell on waivers Sunday in an effort to gain roster flexibility. Spezza went unclaimed before the noon Monday deadline, but Dell was picked up by the New Jersey Devils.
Spezza’s agent, Rick Curran, had told the Star on Sunday that Spezza would “just retire” if he had been claimed by another club. Instead, the 37-yearold can now be sent to the taxi squad for 10 games or 30 days.
The loss of Dell means Michael Hutchinson goes back to being the No. 3 goalie behind starter Frederik Andersen and backup Jack Campbell.
Keefe said plans are to use Campbell more than simply on the second game of back-to-backs in this shortened, condensed NHL season.
Dell backed up Campbell on Saturday in Ottawa, with Andersen given the night off after starting the first two games. That same scenario could be repeated periodically, with Hutchinson as Campbell’s backup.
“We knew when we signed (Dell) that it would be difficult keeping him,” Keefe said about 45 minutes before the waiver wire announcements.