In case you hadn’t heard, it had been more than a month since the 23-year-old left winger — known first and foremost as a goal scorer — last found the back of the net. This is the same player who scored at a 20-goal pace last season. The same player who strutted into the regular season after a white-hot preseason.

Nick Robertson’s days with the Toronto Maple Leafs may be numbered, and it is becoming more painfully obvious as the season has progressed. Entering the offseason as a pending RFA, Robertson opted to request a trade due to a lack of playing time and seeking a fresh start.

Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies came back from health issues, while Nick Robertson returned from a personal hell. That’s why you probably heard Robertson’s long, loud whoop of joy at Amelie Arena all the way to Toronto when he scored as part of Saturday’s hairy 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Matthews had been skating on his own since returning to North America on Nov. 22 following a five-day trip to Germany to visit a doctor, who both he and other Maple Leafs players have seen in the past for further consultation.