The Dallas Stars are in for what could be a very busy and difficult offseason. General manager Jim Nill went all-in this year, but his team once again fell short in a Western Conference Finals match-up against the Edmonton Oilers.
All eyes are currently on head coach Pete DeBoer as reports have emerged that players weren’t happy with the way he handled things in their season-ending Game 5. While a coaching change may be on the horizon, the turnover won’t stop there in Dallas this summer.
The Stars head into the offseason with just $4.95 million in projected cap space and a plethora of pending free agents. Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci, and Evgenii Dadonov are all set to become UFAs, while Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist are RFAs. It’s pretty easy to recognize that Dallas will need to shed some salary, even just to keep some of their own guys, let alone add to the roster.
When analysts and fans look to who the Stars could move to create flexibility, Mason Marchment is often circled up front, while Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin are the obvious candidates on the blue line. But then came the rumors that surfaced on Monday, seeing a surprise name enter offseason trade talks. That would be star winger Jason Robertson.
Two well-known NHL insiders, Jeff Marek of “The Sheet on Daily Faceoff” and Rick Dhaliwal of “Donnie & Dhali,” both mentioned the potential for Robertson to be moved this summer in recent days. At first glance, it feels like a stretch to imagine Dallas dealing their star forward, but the deeper you dive into it… It’s not that far-fetched.
Robertson is heading into the final season of the four-year, $31 million extension ($7.75 million AAV) he inked with the Stars just prior to the 2022-23 campaign. If you remember, those negotiations weren’t the smoothest and almost forced Robertson to miss games at the start of the year. They wound up getting the deal done, and JRob rewarded them with a monster 109-point (46 goals, 63 assists) season. This was the type of stuff he was doing nightly.
In the two years since, his production has fallen, though most players would die for back-to-back 80-point seasons. The 25-year-old becomes extension eligible on July 1, but will Dallas be able to afford it, and more importantly, want to pay him big money?
Massive contract extensions for Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, and Jake Oettinger all begin in 2025-26, while defenseman Thomas Harley is also on the cusp of a substantial pay raise. With Rantanen, Hintz, Johnston, Heiskanen, Oettinger, and soon Harley all to be making over $8 million annually, where does that leave Jason Robertson? These three forwards, two defensemen, and the goaltender appear to be the six core pieces in Dallas, which could result in Robertson being the odd man out to stay under the cap and build a deeper team.
If the Stars do indeed test the market to see what they could get in return for their 2017 second-round pick (39th overall), there will be no shortage of interest. You can make the case for almost any team in the league to go after a point-per-game winger who is still just scratching the surface of his prime. But the fact of the matter is, not everyone is going to get what they want. Boston, Detroit, Anaheim, Calgary, Columbus, and the New York Islanders are just some of the other teams that could put forth compelling offers to Dallas. However, they don’t match up with or make as much sense as the five I’m about to dissect.
So, let’s take a look at which teams are the most realistic landing spots for Jason Robertson in a trade, based on all of the possible factors. One last very important note: his current contract has zero trade protection, so Dallas can send him wherever they feel best suits their organization moving forward.
Carolina Hurricanes
Let’s begin with the Carolina Hurricanes. I wrote a recent article expressing how good of a spot the Canes are in to go big-game hunting in the years to come. Well, here is their first opportunity. The Mikko Rantanen move didn’t work, but that shouldn’t stop general manager Eric Tulsky from being aggressive in pursuit of bringing another star to Carolina.
Robertson fits the Hurricanes in the now and future, providing a skill set they just don’t have on their current roster. Robertson would immediately jump onto a top forward line and improve an already potent power play alongside Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis. There isn’t much convincing I need to do for you to believe the Canes could use Jason Robertson.
Eric Tulsky has everything he needs at his disposal to acquire Jason Robertson. Carolina possesses ample cap space, six first-round draft picks over the next four years (including two of Dallas’), and intriguing young players and prospects. There is no doubt they have what it takes to put together a package to get this done.
Scott Morrow, a 22-year-old right-shot defenseman, would certainly interest the Stars, while 21-year-old winger Jackson Blake and top prospect Bradly Nadeau are other pieces to work around. Dallas could also seek a veteran roster player at a smaller salary to help right now, like Sean Walker or Jalen Chatfield, to bolster the right side of their blue line.
Buffalo Sabres
Now, onto the Buffalo Sabres. When you’re talking about landing spots for a star player, Buffalo is usually not a top destination. However, this is a rare case where Robertson holds no trade protection, providing the Sabres with an opportunity to get their guy. General manager Kevyn Adams’ seat is warm, and I expect him to be very active this summer, so he has to be in the mix here.
We all know about the lengthy playoff drought (14 straight seasons). It feels like the Sabres are so far away from making it back to the postseason, but in reality, a big move like this could change everything. Buffalo has the core pieces in Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Owen Power, and plenty of other talent around them. Adding Jason Robertson to the fold could seriously return this team to a place where they’re competing for a playoff spot.
There have been rumors of instances over the years where players have declined to waive their no-trade clause in a trade that would’ve sent them to Buffalo. With that scenario not in play, the Sabres should find themselves among the likeliest landing spots due to the package they could offer.
Pending RFA, JJ Peterka has been one of the hottest names on the trade market of late, appearing to want a change of scenery. He would be a tremendous focal point in a Robertson return package for the Stars. Buffalo also owns almost all of its upcoming draft picks, including the ninth overall selection in this year’s NHL draft. This could be as good as Dallas can do when looking to acquire pieces to help them win now and in the future.
Washington Capitals
This one might actually be my favorite landing spot for both sides. The Washington Capitals have re-tooled their roster to perfection in recent years. Through free agency, trades, and the draft, Washington has quickly returned as a contender atop the Metropolitan Division in Alex Ovechkin’s final years.
After shocking the hockey world and piling up 111 points in 2024-25, the future only looks brighter in the nation’s capital. The core pieces all remain in place, as blossoming young players Aliaksei Protas and Ryan Leonard will continue to take steps, and soon enough, top prospects like Cole Hutson are going to make the jump to the NHL. While I don’t believe the Capitals need to add a star player for the sake of it, I can’t help but think about how good of a fit Jason Robertson would be on this team.
There aren’t many better prospect pools than Washington’s, so they have the ammo to go after Robertson and still be loaded with young talent. Cap space is not an issue for the Capitals, and they possess first- and second-round draft picks in all of the next four years. General manager Chris Patrick has shown the ability to make plenty of savvy moves in recent years, and this would fit the mold.
The main piece I feel Dallas would target that Washington could stomach moving is Connor McMichael. The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout season, showing the promise of being a first-round pick (25th overall, 2019). McMichael alone wouldn’t be enough, though Washington could include a prospect and draft picks to sweeten the deal. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ryan Chesley are two of those prospect options.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have been one of the few teams already linked to Jason Robertson, and for good reason. A painful seven-year playoff drought came to an end this season, as Ottawa’s young core got its first taste of postseason hockey. It was a good showing by the Senators, and now they must continue to grow and build up the roster.
There may not be a better player to lead the charge in Ottawa than Brady Tkachuk, the heart and soul of the Senators. Despite all of the rumors and speculation about him following in his brother’s (Matthew Tkachuk) footsteps and going to play in the US, Brady has remained adamant about winning in Ottawa. With a special player like Tkachuk and other emerging stars in Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson, they’ve got something special brewing.
To make things even more interesting, the Senators were a team Jeff Marek specifically mentioned to keep an eye on in these sweepstakes.
Clearly, general manager Steve Staios and the rest of the front office have their eyes on Robertson. Do they have what it takes to satisfy Dallas’s ask? When it comes to prospects, Ottawa doesn’t have a lot to provide, which is understandable given where they are as a franchise. They’re also missing some picks, but they have enough to work with in this situation.
What the Senators can entice the Stars with are roster players on friendly contracts, particularly Drake Batherson. The 27-year-old’s $4.975 million cap hit for the next two seasons is something Dallas would value tremendously, and we’ve heard recent reports from TSN Ottawa’s Bruce Garrioch that Batherson’s name has been involved in trade discussions. Staios would obviously need to add picks and/or prospects to get this over the finish line. The only prospect I would avoid moving is Carter Yakemchuk; the rest are fair game.
Vancouver Canucks
We round things out with the Vancouver Canucks. They originally did not come to mind when thinking about the most logical Jason Robertson trade destinations, but after more consideration, the idea has grown on me. Last year was tumultuous and just an all-around disappointment, and the organization needs to determine what direction they’re headed in moving forward.
Should the goal be to remain competitive and build around Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, then Robertson would make a ton of sense to target. He fits right into the age range with the Canucks’ core pieces and would add a much-needed dynamic skill set on the wing.
Vancouver has a middling prospect pool, so they won’t be able to keep up with some other teams in that sense. However, they could get creative with some potential trade offers. These are the types of moves Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin need to consider as they revamp this roster. They do also have all of their own first-round picks to use as assets.
There are several routes the Canucks could go here. Would they be willing to offer Filip Hronek plus picks and/or prospects to a Stars team desperate for a right-shot defenseman? It’s a risk that could deplete their own right side, though Tom Willander’s arrival could come sooner rather than later. Another option would be a deal centered around top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Vancouver would again have to add picks or maybe a player like Nils Hoglander, who needs a fresh start and a pick. I think a match is there to be made between the Canucks and Stars.
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