Robinson enjoying breakout year with first-place Moose

WINNIPEG - When he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Winnipeg Jets back on Jul. 1, Buddy Robinson was starting a new chapter with a renewed sense of confidence.
After all, it was around this time last year when the undrafted, then-25-year-old wasn't sure where the story was headed next.
It was the halfway point of his fourth year with the Ottawa Senators' American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton, New York. Robinson was having a fine year focusing on his defensive game, but was just never able to break out offensively and become what he believed he could be at this level.

With the B-Sens well on their way to last-place finish in the AHL's North Division, a mid-season trade changed everything; and without a contract beyond what was left in the present campaign, he had to make the most of the opportunity in front of him.
Robinson played the final 33 games with the San Jose Sharks' top affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 10 goals and 19 points before playing a key role in helping the club reach the Western Conference Final in the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs.
In 15 games that spring, he was the team's third-highest scoring forward with four goals and nine points. Now a member of the Manitoba Moose and leading the way as the team's top goal-scorer, Robinson has found that next gear as a reliable, one-two punch up front.

"It's just confidence. I'm playing well, but I've got to give a lot of credit to my teammates and to the coaching staff. The coaches have put me out there in every situation and have given me a long leash, and I'm going out there and am a confidence player [because of it]," Robinson said.
With a career-high 18 goals and 35 points, and with half the year left to play, confidence - clearly - goes a long way.
A little know-how never hurts, either.
"The playoff experience is a whole new game when you get to the later stages of the season, and it was huge for my career to experience that," Robinson said. "It was definitely a boost to my career and with that experience coming here, I'm just trying to keep it going, keep on learning, and pass (that experience) on to some of the younger guys here as we get later in the season."
\\WATCH BELOW: Robinson scores hat trick in overtime loss to Chicago\\

The 6-foot-6, 232-pound winger is every bit the frightening, physical menace you'd expect of a man his size. But what separates Robinson from players of a similar build is the combination of hands, a high hockey IQ and quickness like no other on this already speedy Moose roster.
"I always knew I had the offensive ability in me," Robinson said. "In the first part of my career, I was really focused on the defensive part of the game and being a responsible player in all three zones."
The offensive side is simply a bonus considering how well the rest of his game has rounded out and contributed to the Moose's 26-8-3-2 record so far this year.
"I like his stick, I like his size, I like his reads," raved Moose Head Coach Pascal Vincent when asked about Robinson's value to his first-place club. "He's a very positive guy and on the bench, he's a student of the game. .. He's got tremendous experience, and he's pretty much mistake-free. He and [25-year-old right winger] Cam Maclise, they just run the system textbook.
"For him to perform the way he's performing right now and putting up points, it's because he's playing extremely well defensively. If he's on the ice and we don't have the puck, we'll get it back. Quick. Just because of his ability, his size and his reads. He's been a huge positive player for us so far."
Whether it's enough to one day make an impression with the parent club remains to be seen. Either way, his value to the organization in helping foster a winning culture down on the farm is undeniable.
"The team's been fun, the coaches are great - there's just a good vibe around the room right now," he said.
"Hopefully I can keep this thing rolling."
- Ryan Dittrick, WinnipegJets.com