It's safe to say that the Pittsburgh Penguins are exceeding expectations so far this season, as they are squarely in the playoff race and thwarting any talk of the draft lottery entirely.
As it stands now, they are second in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points, and they are on pace for 99 points this season. There is a pretty good chance that - if this pace holds - the Penguins will be soft buyers at the deadline, adding to fill some holes on their roster but doing so without mortgaging the future.
But there is also another option for the Penguins, and it's something that is picking up more and more steam: What if the Penguins go big?
And one of the biggest names out there is Dallas Stars superstar Jason Robertson.
Robertson, 26, continues to put together impressive campaigns for the Stars, as he has 29 goals and 58 points in 50 games. That puts him on pace for 48 goals and 95 points, which is right on par with career numbers.
Of course, it's worth noting that if Robertson - a pending restricted free agent (RFA) - is dealt from Dallas, it likely will not occur until the offseason. The Stars are in the midst of a playoff race and currently sit 12 points behind the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche at second in the Central Division, so trading the 6-foot-3, 204-pound left winger prior to the deadline would certainly hurt their playoff goals.
Latest Jason Robertson Contract Estimate Puts Stars in Cap TroubleNew estimate of Jason Robertson's next contract from NHL insider sparks concern on being able to retain the 26-year-old star forward.But that doesn't mean it won't happen. Yes, the Stars are projected to have over $16 million in cap space this summer, so, hypothetically, they should be able to pay Robertson - who just switched agents - without issue. But the Stars also have seven other pending-UFAs and RFAs, and if Robertson is paid north of $12 million - as is rumored that he wants - it may be a bit tough for the Stars to fill out their rest of their roster and account for extensions like Thomas Harley's without shedding cap elsewhere.
If Dallas and GM Jim Nill are serious about contending long-term, Robertson will be in a Stars' uniform next season. But if they feel they can't make it work, they should expect a pretty hefty return on the market.
So, do the Penguins and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas have what it takes to acquire Robertson, should he become available?
Is Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas The Clear Frontrunner For GM Of The Year?Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has had quite the year - and, if things continue to go well for them, he deserves some recognition. Actually, they are in a better position than most of the other teams who would probably be interested in Robertson's services and could realistically have a shot.
For one, the Penguins have boatloads of cap space to spare. According to PuckPedia, they are projected to have $52.9 million next season, and even if they have a lot of decisions to make on pending-UFAs and RFAs - they have 12 - none of them project to command a very high cap hit. So, financial flexibility is not an issue, and the Penguins can basically afford to pay Robertson whatever he wants.
In addition, and contrary to popular belief, the Penguins do have assets. Yes, the Stars, allegedly, aren't very interested in draft picks and prospects, but those assets are likely to be part of any package regardless because of the caliber of player they'd be trading. Pretty much any Penguins' prospect - aside from Ben Kindel and Sergei Murashov - should be fair game, and the Penguins have all three of their first-round picks for the next three seasons in addition to six second-round picks and six third-round picks.
NHL Insider: Penguins Could Take Swing At Stars' Jason RobertsonPenguins eye scoring sensation Jason Robertson. If Stars can't sign him, Pittsburgh prepares to trade for the rising star.A scoring winger who is cost-controlled would make sense as part of a return, and the Penguins have that in Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust. As would an NHL-ready prospect such as Rutger McGroarty. There is even talk of the Stars coveting a defenseman, too, and this could be a situation where a third team can get involved and take on Pittsburgh's draft capital as part of the deal to send the Stars a blueliner, assuming the Stars wouldn't be interested in prospect-level defensemen.
In some scenarios, the Penguins might have to get a little bit creative. But if the Penguins wanted to, they could make this work, even if they were forced to part with an additional asset in order to outbid other teams and get the deal across the finish line.
It would almost certainly cost more than this, but as a starting point, the Penguins are probably looking at something along the lines of Rakell, McGroarty, and a 2026 first-round pick. And if the Penguins do indeed make the playoffs, losing that first-rounder is going to sting a whole lot less, especially since they may have a high second-rounder in this year's draft if the Winnipeg Jets continue to lose hockey games.
There are a few other teams that could probably make a compelling offer, too. The Washington Capitals are projected to have $36.5 million in cap space next season and - like the Penguins - seem to be back on the upswing and have some compelling prospects. But they also have a bit more cap obligation than the Penguins, especially if Alex Ovechkin returns for another NHL season next year, and their NHL roster isn't chock-full of players Dallas would want or that Washington would part ways with.
The Anaheim Ducks - another team on the upswing - could be players because of their cap situation and capital/prospect pool as well. But, like the Capitals, they have some existing cap obligations, primarily to young RFAs like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Olen Zellweger, all of whom will be due for a substantial raise. And they're unlikely to part with any of their younger cost-controlled NHL assets, even if they have a few enticing veterans they could bargain with.
There's also the Detroit Red Wings, who have both the cap space ($42.7 million) and the prospect pool to make it work but don't necessarily have the available or cost-controlled, coveted NHL assets to pull it off. Perhaps teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils make some degree of sense, as they have a few good but expendable NHL assets that they could leverage in a trade.
All in all, if Robertson is available, there are going to be a ton of teams vying for his services, and whoever comes out on top will likely end up paying a steep price. He's the exact kind of player a team on the verge of coming out of a rebuild should be vying for, as he provides the superstar talent for the better part of the next decade that such a team might otherwise be lacking.
So, the Penguins may have to give up quite a lot, but that's the price you pay for a premier NHL player in his prime who still has at least an entire contract extension's worth of elite years left in the NHL.
Newly Acquired Defenseman Could Be Sneaky Good Pickup For PenguinsUp to this point in the season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have been one of the most active teams in the league on the trade market.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
