5 Trade Destinations for Stars’ Jason Robertson

There seems to be plenty of buzz around Jason Robertson ahead of tonight’s NHL Draft. While I’d lean toward the Dallas Stars finding a way to re-sign him, a trade doesn’t seem impossible. Elliotte Friedman reported on The FAN Hockey Show (June 25) that the Stars and Robertson are about $2 million apart on a cap hit, which is not an insignificant gap to close.

If the Stars trade Robertson, it’ll likely be pricey. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reported that the Stars could look for a package similar to the one the Carolina Hurricanes received when they traded Mikko Rantanen to the Stars. That would be two firsts, two thirds, and Logan Stankoven. With that, let’s look at some potential fits for Robertson if the Stars trade him.

Utah Mammoth

The Utah Mammoth broke through and qualified for the playoffs this season, but they’re still a tier or two below their competitors, especially in a loaded Central Division. They have a good group to build around, but acquiring someone like Robertson could help push them toward the upper echelon of Western Conference teams.

Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley give the Mammoth a formidable top six, but adding Robertson, who’s coming off a 45-goal, 96-point season, would give them a game-breaker that could help them compete with their Central Division rivals.

The Mammoth have $16.157 million in cap space, so they would need to shed some salary to fit in Robertson. I know they acquired JJ Peterka nearly a year ago to the date, but moving his $7.7 million cap hit would make sense. Combined with some draft picks, that could be a package that entices the Stars. Peterka is not Robertson, but at least they’d be getting a player with finishing ability and 20-goal and 50-60-point upside.

Chicago Blackhawks

Among the biggest needs for the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason is giving Connor Bedard more support. They have fewer assets to work with after mystifyingly giving up the fourth overall pick for Bowen Byram, but they have a deep prospect pool and three first-round picks in the 2027 draft.

The Blackhawks also have just over $38 million in cap space, so signing Robertson to an extension with an AAV of $13-14 million shouldn’t be much of an issue, even with Bedard needing an extension as an RFA this offseason.

But where the Blackhawks could run into trouble is that their NHL roster isn’t exactly rife with talent. Would they be willing to give up Frank Nazar to acquire Robertson? They should, but I’m not sure that’s a path GM Kyle Davidson wants to go. Still, they should have enough assets to entice the Stars with a futures-based package. He would be a home run addition if he’s willing to sign long-term with the Blackhawks.

New Jersey Devils

What have the New Jersey Devils been missing for the past couple of seasons? A top-six winger for Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. They’ve swung a couple of times, namely Timo Meier and Tyler Toffoli, but haven’t been able to find anything that sticks with Hughes or Hischier.

The Devils are not a rebuilding team, but they have five first-round picks across the next three drafts after trading Šimon Nemec to the Calgary Flames. That deal netted new GM Sunny Mehta a first-round pick in 2027 and 2028, and a second-rounder in the 2026 draft. That’s in addition to their own pick in the 2026 draft, which sits at 12th overall.

Among the other assets the Devils have are Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey, and even Arseny Gritsyuk. Based on Wyshynski’s report, a package of a couple of firsts, thirds, and Mercer could be close to what works for the Stars. The Devils have even less cap space than the Mammoth, but Robertson is a player you move mountains for.

Los Angeles Kings

Robertson is a California native, so I have to imagine some of the California-based teams would interest in him. The Los Angeles Kings lack a young, game-breaking talent up front, and they need to find a replacement for Anze Kopitar. Robertson isn’t a Kopitar replacement, per se, since they play different positions. But he would give the Kings the game-breaker that they desperately need to stay relevant in the West, even after acquiring Artemi Panarin.

The Kings have just over $20 million in cap space, so they can fit in Robertson without making any major salary cap-related moves. They also have their first-round pick in each of the next three drafts and have multiple seconds this year and in 2028.

The one issue for the Kings is that their prospect pool is quite depleted, but they have a couple of young players who could interest the Stars. The most notable is Brandt Clarke, who’s an RFA this offseason and will command a relatively significant payday from his ELC. The Stars need a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman, so Clarke makes sense. I could also see Alex Laferriere as someone who interests the Stars if they’re looking to net a scoring winger in return for Robertson.

San Jose Sharks

Ivar Stenberg will likely be the San Jose Sharks’ selection with the second overall pick tonight, but what if they go with a defenseman? Could that open the door to acquiring Robertson? Between the second and ninth overall picks, they certainly have the assets, along with a strong prospect pool and young NHL talent.

Granted, the Sharks’ biggest concern is on defense. They need to add at least a couple of defensemen to help stabilize things on the back end, but could you imagine Robertson playing alongside Macklin Celebrini for the next half-decade at a minimum?

If you really want to get crazy, maybe the Sharks even consider dealing the second overall pick and a couple of other assets to acquire Robertson. They’re certainly capable of pulling this off, and with Robertson’s ties to California, he’d likely be open to a move to a team with plenty of promise moving forward.

Is Robertson the Story of the Draft?

Robertson is the most interesting story heading into the NHL Draft tonight. Friedman reported that Robertson had been granted permission to talk to the Seattle Kraken, but he ultimately turned down an eight-year offer worth nearly $15 million per year. Jeff Marek also reported that the St. Louis Blues made an offer for Robertson, but he’s not interested in playing there.

It’s rare to see players of Robertson’s caliber not sign with their current teams, but it sure does seem like a trade is not out of the realm of possibility. We’ll see how it unfolds.