Robins on the rise, tops Blades prospects for NHL Entry Draft

Tristen Robins is expected to be an NHL Entry Draft pick.

Tristen Robins might make some NHL scout or general manager look like a genus somewhere down the line.

Since joining the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades on a full-time basis as a 17-year-old rookie at the start of the 2018-19 season, the skilled centre as steadily improved. During that first season, Robins appeared in all of the Blades 68 regular season games posting nine goals, 16 assists and a plus-seven rating in the plus-minus department.

In the Blades march to the second round of the 2019 WHL playoffs, Robins appeared in all 10 of the team’s post-season games collecting three goals and one assist.

Tristen Robins led the Blades with 73 points last season.

The Blades were very deep at forward that season finishing fourth overall in the WHL regular season standings at 45-15-8, so Robins wasn’t relied upon for offence. Still, the Brandon, Man., product showed flashes in the offensive zone to make one suspect there was more potential to unlock at that end of the ice.

He piled up the points in Brandon’s minor hockey system growing up to further show that potential was there.

Last year as an 18-year-old sophomore, Robins, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 173 pounds, appeared in 62 regular season games with the Blades leading the team in scoring with 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points to go along with a plus-16 rating.

Tristen Robins scored 33 goals for the Blades last season.

He played a key role in helping the Blades post a 34-24-2-3 record to lock up a WHL playoff berth for the second straight year. The Blades were unable to enjoy any post-season action as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ultimately put an end to the overall WHL campaign on March 12.

Thanks to his performance in the 2019-20 regular season, Robins was rated 86^th among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings, which was a huge jump from being rated 134^th among North American skaters in the midterm rankings.

It is conceivable Robins could have increased his NHL Entry Draft potential had there been a post-season in major junior hockey.

Tristen Robins made big strides in two seasons with the Blades.

At the moment, it looks like the odds are high Robins will be picked in one of the middle rounds of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

The NHL Entry Draft will start with round one on Tuesday via video conference call from the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. Rounds two through seven will be held on Wednesday by that same video conference call format.

This marks the first time Robins will be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft due to his late in the year birthday. Players need to be born on or before September 15 the year they turn 18-years-old to be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft.

Robins has been a great fit for the Blades after they acquired his WHL rights from the Regina Pats in a trade on January 8, 2018. In that trade, Robins, defenceman Dawson Davidson and a first round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft went to the Blades in exchanged for import Czech defenceman Libor Hajek.

Tristen Robins is one of the Blades top players.

The Pats acquired Hajek in order to load up their roster as the host of the Memorial Cup tournament in May of 2018.

With that move, Robins followed in the footsteps of his father, Trevor, in being a member of the Blades. Trevor played three seasons for the Blades from 1989 to 1992, and was part of the Blades team that fell in Game 7 of the WHL Championship Series in 1992.

During the 1992 post-season, Trevor played a big role in helping the Blades turn around a league semifinal series against their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders. In Game 4 of that series, Trevor made 29 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Raiders to even that best-of-seven series at 2-2.

The Blades would take that series in six games to advance to the WHL final.

Rhett Rhinehart could be an NHL Entry Draft pick.

Now Tristen has made his own name for himself with the Blades. Any NHL team would be wise to select him in the NHL Entry Draft, because it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Robins one day crack into that level.

He has the skating, puck handling, shooting and hockey sense abilities few have. During the extended off-season, Robins travels to Winnipeg, Man., in order to continue to sharpen his skills at the Rink Hockey Academy.

Besides Robins, the Blades had four other players break on to the final NHL Central Scouting rankings.

Defenceman Rhett Rhinehart came in at the 151^st spot among North American skaters. Like Robins, Rhinehart is eligible for the NHL Entry Draft for the first time due to his late in the year birthday.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere is on the NHL’s radar.

Playing last season as a third-year 18-year-old veteran, Rhinehart, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 205 pounds, appeared in 57 regular season games split between the Prince George Cougars and Blades collecting three goals, 15 assists and a minus-12 rating.

The Blades acquired Rhinehart in a deal on January 10 just before the WHL trade deadline. The Lloydminster, Alta., product was a plus-one in 21 appearances with the Blades.

Rearguard Aidan De La Gorgendiere, who is a product of Langley, B.C., cracked the final NHL Central Scouting rankings at the 197^th spot among North American skaters after not being listed on the midterm rankings. 

De La Gorgendiere, who stands 6-feet and weighs 184 pounds, improved steadily during his 17-year-old sophomore campaign appearing in all of the Blades 63 regular season games posting four goals, 24 assists and a plus-two rating.

Kyle Crnkovic's skill overcomes his lack of size.

Left-winger Kyle Crnkovic checked in at the 208^th spot among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting ranking also after not being listed on the midterm rankings.

In his two seasons with the Blades, Crnkovic has established as one of Saskatoon’s top players that comes through in the clutch. The Chestermere, Alta., product appeared in all of the Blades 63 regular season games finishing second in team scoring with 21 goals and 43 assists for 64 points to go along with a plus-nine rating.

While Crnkovic has skill, his lack of size is the biggest characteristic that likely holds him back in the eyes of NHL scouts, as he stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 161 pounds. Still, Crnkovic can play the game at a very high level.

Koen MacInnes had a solid rookie season for the Blades.

Koen MacInnes is the fifth member of the Blades to make the final NHL Central Scouting rankings coming in at 22^nd among North American goalies. MacInnes was rated 31^st in the midterm ranking among North American goalies.

The Burnaby, B.C., product had a solid 17-year-old rookie campaign last season with the Blades posting a 14-5-1 record, a 2.84 goals against average, a .901 save percentage and three shutouts. MacInnes also stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 184 pounds, and NHL scouts will likely appreciate the netminder’s size.

Overall at this moment, Robins heads the class of Blades players eligible to be picked in the NHL Entry Draft.

You have a feeling his hockey career has the potential to contain a few heroic moments in the future.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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