Potential landing spots for Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson
Photo Credit: LM Otero/AP Photo
Once again, the Dallas Stars’ season came crashing down in the Western Conference Finals. The Stars have been on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final for three straight seasons, including losing the past two Conference Finals to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Stars already made one major change off the ice, firing head coach Pete DeBoer on June 6, more than a week after they fell at home in Game 5 to the Oilers. DeBoer’s inability to get over the hump and public comments he made about his goaltender Jake Oettinger underperforming in the series was enough to send the 56-year-old packing.
Major changes could also be coming on the ice, with numerous players being on the trade block, including defensemen Matt Dumba and forwards Mason Marchment and Jason Robertson. The latter is the biggest fish in the pond. Robertson has scored 29 or more goals in each of his last four seasons, including a career-high 46 goals and 109 points in 2022-23. However, the 25-year-old is due for a big raise at the end of next season, and the Stars have the third-least amount of cap space available in the National Hockey League ($4.96 million).
The Stars only have 16 players signed to their NHL roster, so with minimal cap space and a boatload of free agents to re-sign, there is no cap relief in sight. Robertson currently makes $7.75 million, but will be asking for north of $10 million next offseason, even though he is a restricted free agent. The Stars gave out hefty contracts to winger Mikko Rantanen (8 years/$12 mil) and center Wyatt Johnston (5 yrs/$8.4 mil) during the season, leaving little room for a long-term Robertson extension.
While it is not certain that the Stars are going to move Robertson, they should be listening to offers, because it is not very often a player of his caliber becomes available in a trade. With that in mind, let’s explore four potential trade fits for the former second-round pick.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are a young team in need of a veteran star. Many have linked them with top free agent Mitch Marner, who is coming off a 102-point season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Ducks aren’t able to land Marner or aren’t interested in his services, they could pivot to Robertson. The Ducks have a few key restricted free agents they need to re-sign, and are reportedly working on a deal to acquire New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider (2 yrs/$6.5 mil), per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Even with those factors, the Ducks would have enough room to take on Robertson’s current salary and accommodate a long-term extension.
The Ducks are an up-and-coming team with a lot of solid young pieces. The Ducks had 21 more points (80) this year than they did last season (59), showing significant signs of growth and improvement. With the Ducks looking like they are headed into their window to compete, adding Robertson would speed up that process.
With the Stars strapped for cap space, they are likely going to want draft picks and/or top prospects. The Ducks have the 10th-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and also have an extra third-round pick this year and an extra second-round pick in 2027. With the Ducks being a young team, they have a few intriguing prospects and young NHL players that could intrigue the Stars. The Stars need help on the right side of the backend, so 20-year-old Noah Warren or 21-year-old Tristan Luneau could be the centerpiece of a Robertson to Anaheim trade.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are another team on the rise, although maybe not as fast as the Ducks. Their rebuild was accelerated when rookie sensation Matvei Michkov came over from Russia before last season, two years earlier than he was expected to arrive. Michkov impressed in his first NHL season, leading rookies in goals (26) and tallying 63 points. They also have emerging young players like forward Tyson Foerster and defenseman Jamie Drysdale. The Flyers need to surround Michkov and their young core with talent. Robertson would add elite goal-scoring to a Flyers team that hasn’t had a 40-goal scorer since the now-retired Jeff Carter (46) in 2008-09.
The Flyers’ cap space will expand this year and next, with retained salaries and bad contracts coming off the books. They will have plenty of room for Robertson and have a wide-open hole at first-line left wing that he could fill. It has been said by the Flyers’ brass that 2026 will be when they make a big splash, specifically in free agency. With superstars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Cale Makar, Kirill Kaprizov, and Kyle Connor set to hit the open market next offseason, you can see why the Flyers might be saving up for a big move. However, there is no guarantee that any of these players will make it to free agency, with them being key pieces to their franchises, and the league’s cap space increasing. Even with 2026 on their mind, the Flyers should still be a major player in the Robertson sweepstakes.
General manager Daniel Briere would have a lot of favorable assets to make a trade work, specifically draft capital. The Flyers have three first-round picks in this year’s draft and an extra first-round pick in 2027, a pick that they won’t be shy to trade away. They also have four second-round picks this year. In terms of prospects, the Flyers don’t have too many high-end young defensemen, but right-handers Oliver Bonk and Spencer Gill could fit what the Stars are looking for. If the Stars are interested in any forwards, wingers Alex Bump or Samu Tuomaala could be part of the deal. The trade package may have to center around the Flyers’ sixth-overall pick, which would be a tough asset for the team to part with.
Ottawa Senators
Another young team on the rise. Notice a trend? However, the Senators are more established than the prior two teams on this list, having made the playoffs this season. Led by goalie Linus Ullmark, defenseman Jake Sanderson, and forward Brady Tkachuk, the Senators have a foundation that could set them up for long-term success. The Senators need to build off the momentum of making the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
The Senators should have the cap space to make both a trade and a long-term deal for Robertson work. The Senators already have four players making $8 million or more for at least the next three seasons, and one making $7.1 million for the next five years. However, the $4.05 million cap hit for 34-year-old defenseman Nick Jensen and the $4 million cap hit for 37-year-old David Perron come off the books next offseason. Alternate captain Claude Giroux, 37, is a free agent this summer, with both sides reportedly wanting to come to an agreement. The Ottawa native will likely take a hometown discount, which would open up more space for a player of Robertson’s caliber.
The Senators are in a tricky situation with their draft picks. They don’t have a second-round pick this year and don’t have a first-round pick next year. Their first-round pick this year is 21st overall, but with no first-round selection next year, the Senators may want to hang on to No. 21. Established NHL winger Drake Batherson, who is set to make just under $5 million for the next two seasons, could entice the Stars, but it may not give them as much cap relief as they need. Sticking with the right-handed defensive prospects, former seventh-overall pick in 2024, Carter Yakemchuk, could be the big piece in a Robertson to Ottawa deal.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are the best team on this list, talent-wise. They are coming off a series loss to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hurricanes have lost in the final round before the Stanley Cup Finals twice in the last three years, both times to the Panthers. They have also finished first in the Metropolitan Division three out of the last five seasons, but don’t have a Cup Finals appearance to show for their success. Scoring was an issue for the Hurricanes in the Conference Finals; they only scored more than two goals in one game, the game they were eliminated. They might need one more high-profile player to get over the hump. The Hurricanes are projected to have almost $29 million in cap space this offseason, allowing them to make a big move.
It’s clear the Hurricanes are going big fish hunting. They traded for Rantanen, who was later moved before the deadline because he wouldn’t sign an extension in Carolina. They were also rumored to have a potential trade deal for Marner, but that fell through due to multiple factors. This would be the second massive trade between the Stars and Hurricanes in the last few months. The Hurricanes traded Rantanen to the Stars for forward Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick. Now it would be Robertson going the other way, potentially for a similar package.
Thanks to the Rantanen trade, the Hurricanes acquired an extra first-round pick in 2026 and 2028, both conditionally from the Stars. Although they lost out on a superstar in Rantanen, they could use the ammo they got from his trade to get another star. The Hurricanes have a few players with small sample sizes in the NHL. Forward Jackson Blake played 80 games this season, his rookie campaign, and scored 17 goals and had 17 assists. Blake added six points in this year’s playoffs. Defenseman Scott Morrow, who was just named to the American Hockey League Top Prospect team, has played 16 regular-season games across two years and played five games in this year’s playoffs. Forward Bradly Nadeau and defenseman Alexander Nikishin are also top prospects who could feature in a deal for Robertson. With extra first-round picks and a strong prospect pool, the Hurricanes are in the best spot to land Robertson, if he is traded.
