Quoting: Leafs_Storm
Robertson will more than likely get the 9 game audition, but I don't know if the Leafs will want to burn an ELC year when they actually have a lot of forward depth for once. If he doesnt properly earn the spot on the team, he doesnt get it. And with regards to WJC, if he went, he would come back the night of the 5th, and have to quarantine for a week. He would get out the 12, and effectively miss the entire camp. He said he wanted to make the Leafs, and the fact is going to the WJC, he had no real chance to show he deserved that spot over the others here. This was likely a mutual choice. If Barabanov, Vesey, & Simmonds all outplay him, then he's taxi squad.
Even then, I do not in anyway think the Leafs will magically not get injured in a condensed season facing only canadian teams. He'll get in at first injury or on back to backs to give the Vets a rest likely even if he's not in the initial 12.
Yeah, I agree. There's no way he was guaranteed a spot, so missing camp would more or less count him out of making the team out of camp.
TSN reported the following lines today:
Thornton - AM34 - Marner
Vesey - JT - Nylander
Soup - Kerfoot - Hyman
So, imo Spezza and Simmonds have inside track on 2 of 3 spots, leaving a camp battle between Robertson and Barabanov, which should be best player wins.
Then Boyd is around to spell Spezza, Simmonds, etc.