Despite reaching the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Stars won’t be heading to free agency with their usual spunk. The reason for that might be their highly restrictive cap space of just $2,755,083. This offseason, Dallas must fill seven roster spots with this little cap space.
With this in mind, it is no wonder that general manager Jim Nill is looking to save money by replacing some key members of his current squad. One of the names that has been catching fire for quite some time now is Jason Robertson.
The rumors about the left winger came to light last week when NHL insider Jeff Marek said the Stars would be looking forward to making Robertson available, given their dire need for some cap space to make purchases.
NHL Insider: Dallas Stars Might Be Open To Trading Jason Robertson
Robertson was easily one of the best players on the Stars this season, with 35 goals and 80 points. However, he seems to have suffered a major slip from the heroics he showed back in his sophomore year. With 109 points across the 82 regular-season games in the 2022-23 season, he was phenomenal.
But since then, a slump has been more than visible. NHL Insider Josh Erikson believes that the details of his current contract make him all the more viable for a trade. Robertson signed a four-year, $31 million deal in 2022.
But since then, Robertson seems more likely to be a No. 2/3 forward rather than a first-line forward for the Stars. Not to mention, he is still under the team’s control as a restricted free agent, with the Stars having arbitration rights.
Also, since his contract has been significantly back-loaded, the qualifying offer for him rises from $7.75 million to a mighty $9.3 million. With the lack of funds that the Stars have, it is highly doubtful that they will choose to retain Robertson for that enormous amount.
His decreased performance and various injuries add to the Stars’ desire to trade him. That said, names like Matthew Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin, both defensemen that the Stars drafted last season, turned out to be busts.
With the two commanding annual salaries of $3.75 million and $3.25 million, the Stars might decide to put them on the trade market. Under any circumstances, some cut-offs will be needed, as securing even one new player with their current cap space will be hard.
If they do decide to trade Robertson, they might look to get a frontline in his place—someone who can preferably settle into the top-six position and might still be on their entry-level deal.
