Entering the dog days of this NHL off-season, activity has slowed in the trade market. However, it hasn't kept Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson's name out of the rumor mill.
The 26-year-old left winger became the subject of media trade gossip following the Stars' elimination from the 2025 Western Conference final.
Being a year away from RFA eligibility, pundits wondered if he would be moved to free up his $7.75-million cap hit to pursue a big-ticket player via the trade or free-agent markets.
Those rumors persisted despite subsequent reports claiming the Stars weren't peddling Robertson. If they intended to dump his salary to pursue a bigger star, the opportunity may have passed. The shallow free-agent pool quickly drained of talent, and trades involving notable players occurred weeks ago.
The Stars became cap-compliant for this season by shipping defenseman Matt Dumba to the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 10, putting them $1.085 million under the cap with 22 active roster players under contract.
Still, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos has Robertson atop his latest off-season trade board. He wonders if the Stars will commit to signing him to a long-term extension.
Robertson has arbitration rights next summer, at which point he'll also be a year away from UFA eligibility. Kypreos believes the Stars prefer to avoid going down that path but pondered whether they'd be willing to pay him as much as teammate Mikko Rantanen, who signed a long-term deal worth $12 million annually earlier this year.
Kypreos' colleague, Ryan Dixon, noted that Robertson lacks no-trade protection, but moving a scorer of his caliber would still be a difficult task. While many teams would be interested, finding a trade partner willing to offer a suitable return with the cap space to re-sign him could prove challenging.
Nevertheless, Dixon proposed seven potential trade partners, with the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals leading the pack. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth rounded out his list.
The Hockey News’ Julian Gaudio said Robertson possesses the high-end skill the Kraken lack, and they have first-rounders and prospects to offer if Dallas wants those.
Stars GM Jim Nill could entertain offers for Robertson. Given his contract status and offensive value, he's in no rush to move him before next July. Jesse Courville-Lynch said the Kings should be all over trying to acquire Robertson if he becomes available, but they would need to move out salary to make room for him.
Robertson's role may have changed following the acquisition of Rantanen, but he remains their most reliable offensive forward, with 80 points in 82 games this past season. Nill can afford to let this season play out and see how his club performs before seriously considering trade opportunities for Robertson.
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