2020 Draft Profile: W/C Tristen Robins

Producing points consistently as a first-year eligible in a tough league like the WHL usually translates into a higher ranking than the mid-190’s, but such is the case for a rapid riser like Robins who came out of nowhere to lead the Blades in scoring. A late-2001 birthday, Robins was a fourth-round bantam pick in 2016 and didn’t become a full-timer until last year when he registered 25 points in 68 games as a rookie. Robins got off to a better start this season with 17 points in his first 26 games before he exploded for 53 in his final 36, including eight matches of three points or more. Although he was hovering over a point per game by early January, Robins was not selected for the 2020 CHL Top Prospects Game.

Robins gets rewarded for his enthusiasm and hard work. He is a puck hound who makes the right decisions in terms of reads and anticipation, and he uses a long stick to help him generate takeaways. Although he can come across as a grinder because of his motor and effort, Robins was deserving of being a top liner simply because he made all those around him better. He excelled on the power play from point and the half wall mostly because of his hard, accurate shot and his confidence in using it as often as possible – Robbins can be a dual threat as either a high-volume shooter or a pass-first playmaker. Robins also is one of the most deceptive skaters you’ll find in this draft class and in a good way. He remains upright and can coast around in one instance, only to explode within two or three strides into open ice and well past a defender. Robins also has multi-directional agility and can curl or peel back on a dime while staying strong on his edges as he makes a move towards the goal. There are no red flags outside the fact that and Robins had rough matches decision making-wise against several top WHL teams in the first half, which is why this ranking is far less generous than most.