It’s time for some more NHL rumours. We’re nearing the start of the Winter Olympics in February and that means teams might be thinking about making deals. The salary cap has been rising, but that still doesn’t make things easy for general managers. It can still be a challenge to get players to fit under the salary cap. The upcoming deadline may force some of the hands of some of these GMs.
One team that may have a tough decision to make is the Dallas Stars. This edition of NHL rumours deals with a restricted free agent forward that could be moved closer to the deadline.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
What Could Be in Store for RFA Dallas Stars Forward
Rumour: Former NHLer Nick Kypreos offered an update on pending Stars RFA forward Jason Robertson. Kypreos added that Dallas could entertain making a trade if Robertson holds firm on his asking price.
Analysis: Robertson is a pending RFA at the end of the season. The offer sheet didn’t come into play last offseason. However, he could become the target of an offer sheet should he hit the open market. The compensation price may be high, but a scorer like Robertson could be worth it.
Coming into Saturday’s action, Robertson leads the team in goals with 27 so far this campaign and also has 56 points. The 26-year-old is in the final year of a contract that sees him making $7.75 million per season. He’ll likely command a massive raise from whoever signs him.
The Stars and general manager Jim Nill would love to keep Robertson. However, it may come down to dollars and cents with the Stars not having enough money go around.
Dallas is one of the top teams in the league and wants to finally get over the hump. The Stars have made the Western Conference Final that last three years in a row, but the pressure is on to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
What It Means
Kypreos said that Robertson may have come down from a salary number that another Stars player has. Dallas’ leading point-getter, Mikko Rantanen, is the highest-paid player on the roster at $12 million per season. Robertson might want something similar in order to stay in Dallas.
However, the Stars have plenty of players commanding big-money deals. Tyler Seguin, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Wyatt Johnston each currently get over $8 million per season. There’s also the matter of the massive raise that defenceman Thomas Harley will get at the start of the 2026-27 season. Harley’s contract will go up from $4 million to $10.587 million per season starting next year.
That contract could force Nill and Stars management into an unwanted situation. Dallas has drafted well and gotten plenty of production from those younger players. However, the time has come to pay the piper and there may not be enough to go around.
The Stars are in win-now mode, and it doesn’t seem likely that they would make a trade at the deadline barring disaster. This trade could be more of an off-season move, but it could be something in the offing if the two sides can’t reach an agreement.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images