With both the NHL Draft and free agency on the horizon, trade speculation is running rampant in hockey circles at the moment.
And one of the latest reports by an NHL insider is beginning to crowd the airways.
Speaking on SN590 Tuesday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that Dallas Stars superstar forward Jason Robertson’s name is out there and that he could potentially be moved to provide some relief for a very cap-strapped Stars team.
Roberston, 25, has been one of the league’s best goal-scorers for the past several seasons, and he registered 35 goals and 80 points in 82 games during the regular season. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound left wing has one year remaining on a contract that pays him $7.75 million annually before becoming a restricted free agent (RFA) in 2026, and – with the cap spiking for the next three seasons – he is due for a raise.
On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense for the Stars to move on from Robertson, especially given the 1-2 punch they have with him and Mikko Rantanen, who was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on Mar. 8.
However, with only $4.95 million in projected cap space for this season and with several pending-RFAs and UFAs – such as forwards Mikael Granlund (UFA), Matt Duchene (UFA), Jamie Benn (UFA), and Mavrik Bourque (RFA) and defensemen Cody Ceci (UFA) and Nils Lundkvist (RFA) – it gets a bit more complicated, as the Stars would ideally like to hang onto some of them.
Should The Penguins Target Dallas Stars’ RFA Forward?Ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency, the Pittsburgh Penguins – in addition to hiring a new head coach – figure to be busy.
In addition, they will need to fill out the rest of their roster for 2025-26, and the Stars will need to extend young star defenseman Thomas Harley, who will also become an RFA in 2026.
In other words, the chances of Robertson being dealt may still be slim and very speculative at this point, but they’re not zero. And, if he is available, is he someone the Pittsburgh Penguins can make a serious push for?
Honestly, it may not be as far-fetched as it seems.
Per data from Puckpedia, Pittsburgh has more draft capital than any other team in hockey over the next three years, and that includes 18 picks within the first three rounds. They have $24.5 million in cap space to work with this summer, and they will have nearly $53.9 million next summer, which will pretty much all be free spending cap because they will have no obligations to extend anyone on their current roster at that point.
Conceivably, cap should be a non-issue for acquiring someone like Robertson, who more than fits the mold of young talent that Penguins’ POHO and GM Kyle Dubas is looking for in the trade market. The biggest question is whether or not they have the assets to pull something like that off.
And, hey, they just might.
Dallas will definitely be looking for a hefty return for Robertson, should they pull the trigger on any sort of trade – and it will most certainly have to include a mix of everything – NHL talent, prospect talent, and picks. Although the Penguins may not have a golden prospect pool, they may be able to somewhat compensate for that elsewhere.
If Dallas is looking to shed some of Robertson’s $7.75 million cap – but still net NHL talent in return – they could consider Penguins forward Rickard Rakell. Rakell makes $5 million for three more years and matched Robertson’s 2024-25 goal total with 35 while also notching 70 points, meaning the 32-year-old winger can help Dallas in their current win-now mode.
Penguins Trading Star Forward Would Come With Big RiskFor much of the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell was the subject of trade speculation. It was understandable, as the Penguins were out of the playoff race, while Rakell enjoyed himself a career year. In 81 games, the 32-year-old winger set new career highs with 35 goals and 70 points.
If the Penguins retained some salary, that should still open up approximately $4 million, and the Stars would be getting some goal-scoring replacement to be deployed in their top-six. Rakell would have to be shipped off with other assets, too – likely a first (which could, perhaps, be the New York Rangers’ conditional first), another pick in the second or third round, and a prospect along the lines of, at the very least, goaltender Joel Blomqvist or forward Tristan Broz.
In addition, Robertson does not have any form of a no-trade or no-movement clause on his current contract, making it a bit easier for Dallas to deal him.
Realistically, if Robertson is available – and the Penguins are interested – they could, conceivably, put together a package to get a deal across the finish line. They have a player in Rakell who can fill a need for Dallas for a cheaper price tag than Robertson, and they have the assets to balance out the value in return.
Of course, this will be a situation to monitor in the coming weeks before the draft and prior to free agency. But, if the opportunity arises to acquire a young, star talent, Dubas should not hesitate.
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