Rangers defenseman faces hometown Oilers after ‘solid’ season debut
Matthew Robertson never takes for granted any opportunity to be in the New York Rangers lineup. That’s not to say it won’t be extra special when the 24-year-old defenseman is out there against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
That has less to do with McDavid than the fact that Robertson is an Edmonton native, one who starred for the hometown junior team, the Oil Kings, in the Western Hockey League from 2017-21.
Robertson once again is in the Rangers lineup, on the second defense pair with Will Borgen, taking the place of injured veteran Carson Soucy. Robertson was a healthy scratch in New York’s first three games before Soucy sustained an upper-body injury in a 6-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and landed on IR.
So, on Sunday, Robertson drew into the lineup for his season debut, just the third NHL game of his five-year professional career. He acquitted himself well, though the Rangers lost 1-0 to the Washington Capitals.
Robertson logged 18:08 TOI and his underlying metrics indicated a strong performance. He posted a 64.2 expected goal share, with the Rangers out-chancing the Capitals 12-4 with Robertson on the ice at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. The Robertson-Borgen pairing had a 60.7 expected goal share and a 10-4 edge in scoring chances.
Small samples seemed to indicate that it was Robertson who carried the pairing, with the rookie posting an 89.8 expected goal share in 3:01 without the veteran by his side. Borgen was at 20.5 in 2:19 without Robertson.
“I thought he was solid,” coach Mike Sullivan said postgame. “He has good size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), he has good mobility, he’s got a good stick. He has some physicality to him. I thought he kept his puck possession game simple.”
Matthew Robertson looking to change narrative with Rangers after sluggish start to career
It’s debatable whether Robertson can still be considered a prospect at this point. But he very well could become a serviceable option on the blue line, if not the top-four staple the Rangers envisioned six years ago, when they selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Injuries and subpar play his first three seasons with Hartford of the American Hockey League nearly led the Rangers to move on from Robertson. But they somewhat surprisingly gave him a qualifying offer in the summer of 2024, and he responded with his best AHL season in 2024-25.
Robertson led all Hartford defensemen with 25 points last season, and ranked second overall on the team with 24 assists, behind veteran forward Alex Belzile (37). Just as important was Robertson’s improved defensive play.
His NHL debut didn’t come until late last season, a two-game cameo that occurred after the Rangers were eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention. Robertson paired with Adam Fox for much of those two games, and he nearly scored a goal on his first NHL shift.
All in all, Robertson did enough last season in the minors and brief NHL opportunity to restore the organization’s faith in him. The Rangers signed Robertson to a two-year, $1.95 million contract this past summer. And he earned a spot on their opening-night roster earlier this month for the first time in his career.
Whether Robertson’s stunted development is his fault or that of the team, or some combination of the two, is uncertain. It’s possible, though, that he’s a late-bloomer, and the Rangers could have an up-and-coming defenseman on their hands.
Time will tell how he handles his NHL opportunities, including the one Tuesday against McDavid and Co.
Carson Soucy injury could give Rangers extended look at Matthew Robertson
It’s possible that Sullivan is going to get an extended look at Robertson, provided he continues stringing together steady performances. Soucy’s nearly head-first crash into the boards Saturday left him woozy and caused him to skate off the ice immediately. While the Rangers are typical of their NHL brethren in keeping injury details to themselves, the club is sure to play it slow with a potential head or neck injury sustained by the 31-year-old.
As a result, Robertson has what looks like his first real chance to show the Rangers that he’s deserving of more playing time at the NHL level — and consideration to be a bigger part of their future plans.
Robertson perhaps caught a break in that the Rangers couldn’t recall highly-regarded defenseman Scott Morrow from Hartford when Soucy was injured. Morrow’s $916,000 salary-cap hit would have put the Rangers over the limit. If they had more space, the Rangers could’ve chosen to recall the 22-year-old, who’s a highly-skilled puck mover, albeit a right shot (Soucy is a lefty, as is Robertson). The Rangers instead recalled veteran Connor Mackey to serve as the extra defenseman, when Robertson entered the lineup.
If it is good fortune, so be it. Robertson’s earned at least that. The rest is up to him moving forward.
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