Stars Weekly: Robertson, Bourque, 2026 Draft Class, Werenski & More

With the way general manager (GM) Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars do business, it seemed like a sure thing that the Stars would ride into the summer with a freshly signed Jason Robertson and just a few roster decisions left to tidy up before training camp in September.

Well, Robertson is still unsigned, and he has turned down offers from Dallas and two trades that would have paid him a ton of money and given the Stars a decent return. Then, the world found out that the Stars had a deal in place to send Thomas Harley to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Zach Werenski. But, alas, that trade fell through. In addition, they traded another young and promising player, Mavrik Bourque, presumably in an effort to keep and extend Robertson.

Nill isn’t perfect, and not every move he has made has been flawless. However, one thing he has been great at in his tenure with the Stars is staying in the shadows. Moving in silence. Not only has it been a messy start to the offseason, but all of his failed business has been anything but silent.

It’s kind of refreshing, though, isn’t it? Let’s face it, for as successful and dominant as the Stars have been the last three seasons, sans winning the Stanley Cup, they really aren’t talked about all that often. Now, they are in the headlines every day.

Ok, maybe in this context, refreshing isn’t the right word.

While all of this was happening, other stuff happened, too. Let’s get into all of it.

The Jason Robertson Saga Continues

Robertson is officially a restricted free agent (RFA) after his four-year, $31 million deal expired on July 1. The Stars made a qualifying offer to Robertson before free agency opened, which means that they have the opportunity to match any offer sheets that are sent his way. Which, as we’ve learned in this first week of July, is absolutely a scenario that could take place.

So, any updates on the Robertson situation, Jim?

“Really no update on Jason,” Nill said on Wednesday. “I think everybody needs to understand that this is July 1. The games don’t start until September, and this is part of the contract negotiations – the goal is to get him signed.”

As of now, we know that Robertson turned down a trade to the Seattle Kraken that went along with $120 million, and that he turned down a trade to the St. Louis Blues. We also know, according to ESPN insider Emily Kaplan, that Robertson turned down an eight-year deal with the Stars that matched Mikko Rantanen’s $12 million-per-year deal that was signed last March. Again, according to Kaplan, multiple reports have suggested that Robertson is looking for a minimum of $14 million per year.

How Do the Stars Sign Robertson?

Is he worth it? In my opinion, yes. Can the Stars do it? Well, that’s the question filling up all of our timelines right now. In an effort to relieve cap space, the Stars traded fan favorite Bourque, along with Ilya Lyubushkin, to the Nashville Predators for a second- and third-round draft pick. But after re-signing Jamie Benn, Arttu Hyry, and a few other minor league players, the Stars still have only $9,789,667 in cap space, which clearly isn’t enough to cough up another $14 million. Even if they traded Harley’s $10.59 million for Werenski, that still wouldn’t be enough to afford Robertson.

Sam Steel makes $2.1 million in 2026-27 and would be a serviceable piece on a contending team. Radek Faksa makes $2 million per year for the next two seasons, and would also be a solid addition to anyone’s bottom six. The Stars like those two players, but moving them to lock up Robertson is certainly palatable.

Tyler Seguin is making $9.85 million for one more season, and while the Stars might not be able or want to move him, if they can find a way to sign Robertson, there will be some relief when Seguin’s contract expires next summer. All of that said, even if they do move any of those players, that will still leave holes that need to be filled, and that will cost more money.

Since Harley was already floated out there, maybe there’s a world where they trade him for someone other than Werenski. Maybe for recently disgruntled Dylan Larkin, who makes $8.7 million per season until 2030-31.

I don’t know, but this is my opinion: The more I look at the numbers and the reality of the situation, the more I find it very hard to see a world in which the Stars sign Robertson. I hope I’m wrong. God knows I’m no GM. But if he’s stuck at $14 million, or even if he lowers his number to $13 million, how does Nill make it work?

Again, that’s why he’s the GM and not me. I’m just saying, this is going to take some serious roster massaging to get this done. Nill said that the goal is to get him signed, and I believe he is still trying to get that done. But this is a difficult situation.

I’ve said it in past articles, and I’ll say it again. Nill is a wizard. He’s pulled off crazy moves in the past. If anyone can do it, he can, and we’ll see if he has any magic left to extend Robertson.

Mavrik Bourque Is Another Cap Casualty

As I already mentioned, the Stars traded Bourque to the Predators in a move that Nill explained as a “casualty of the cap world.”

“We love Mavrik. Good player for us,” Nill said after the trade. “His game’s really come along. MVP of the American League (AHL), and his game has got better and better. Been a good young player for us. Unfortunately, he’s a casualty of the cap world. You have to be cap-compliant, and those decisions have to be made. He did a good job. His contract was coming up. He bet on himself last year, and where his contract was going, it was something that we wouldn’t be able to fit in. You can’t fit everybody in. It’s just part of the business.”

While the Stars moved Bourque and the money he is going to make, they also moved veteran defenseman Lyubushkin and his $3.25 million.

To double back to our previous topic, this is all in an effort to make room for Robertson, or maybe a highly paid player that they would get in a trade for Robertson. It’s a tough pill to swallow, for sure, but it had to be done. Bourque has a promising career ahead of him, but unfortunately, it won’t be in Dallas.

After putting up 11 goals and 25 points in his rookie season in 2024-25, Bourque is coming off a 2025-26 season that saw him net 20 goals and 41 points.

Zach Werenski Was Almost a Star

Werenski was almost a Star. A Dallas Star, that is. After all, he is already a star, and Dallas almost had him. Werenski vetoed a trade earlier in the week that would have sent him to the Lone Star State.

Here is a quick summary of the situation as we know it, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

“According to multiple sources, the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets had a verbal agreement on a Zach Werenski trade, which was to be completed Wednesday morning, only to have it vetoed by the Norris Trophy winner. (Werenski has a full no-move clause.)

Apparently, the calendar needed to flip to July 1 before it could happen, due to contractual and/or cap reasons. Thomas Harley was to be the centrepiece of the return, but other players/picks may have been involved, too.”

From ‘Zach Werenski vetoes trade to Dallas Stars,’ Sportsnet, July 1, 2026

We later learned that Werenski is comfortable with riding out the rest of the two years left on his contract in Columbus, but would not commit to an extension.

The unfortunate part of all of this is that Harley’s name has now been caught in the crossfire, leaving many Stars fans wondering what kind of drama this will create between Harley and the Stars.

To me, and this is just my opinion, it shouldn’t create a wound that can’t be healed. The Stars committed to the 24-year-old defenseman until 2033-34 at big money for a reason, and it’s not because they were planning on trading him. But when you have a chance to get one of the best defensemen in the league, you do it.

Despite coming off a tough season (six goals, 36 points), Harley is a really good defenseman, and his future is incredibly bright. Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, Harley had 31 goals and 97 points in 157 games.

The truth remains that the Stars need to find money, and Harley makes a lot of it. There’s a good chance that we haven’t heard the last of his name in trade rumors. But if he does make it to training camp with the Stars, he will be a massive part of the 2026-27 season and any hope the Stars have of winning the Stanley Cup.

The Captain Is Back

Benn is officially coming back for his 18th season with the Stars after signing a one-year, $850,000 contract, plus $1.15 million in performance bonuses.

“Jamie’s leadership and commitment to this organization is truly unmatched, and he has helped define our culture,” Nill said. “He continues to set the standard on and off the ice, and we’re excited to have him leading our team for another season.”

Benn has 414 goals and 992 points in 1,252 games, including 15 goals and 36 points this past season. Drafted in the fifth round back in 2007, Benn trails only Alexander Mogilny (1,032) for most points by a fifth-rounder. In addition, he has 28 goals and 80 points in 126 playoff games.

The 2026 Draft Class

I know it feels like years ago with all of the action we’ve seen this weekend, but the draft was last weekend, and the Stars added five players to the future of the organization.

Jakub Vanecek, 18, was drafted 59th overall in the second round. He is from Czechia and played for the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League (WHL), recording 14 goals and 35 points in 59 games.

“We really like his skillset and he’s good size, as well,” Joe McDonnell, Director of Amateur Scouting, said after the draft. “He’s a two-way guy, but he showed more offense in April (in international play). It was good to see.”

Next, the Stars drafted Ryan Brown 155th overall in the fifth round. The left winger had 63 points in 67 games with the Sarnia Sting and London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season.

“He’s got a bomb of a shot,” McDonnell said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he competes.”

Goaltender Anton Emil Wilde Larsen was drafted 187th overall in the sixth round, and will play professionally in Sweden next season.

In the seventh round, the Stars drafted Jasper Kuhta (197th overall) and Mikhail Cherepanov (219th). Kuhta, center, played for the Ottawa 67s of the OHL and is expected to play at the University of Massachusetts next season. Cherepanov played in the North American Hockey League last season.

The Boys Will Be Back in No Time

With most teams being out of the hunt for the Stanley Cup in April, the offseason is basically halfway over. Yet, there’s still a lot for the Stars to do, and none of it can be done until a decision is made between them and Robertson.

Nill has confirmed that their goal is to sign him, and by his actions, I think Robertson’s goal is to stay. But they’re still miles apart, and only time will tell how it all unfolds.

It may be July, but hockey is really just around the corner. Training camp is in two months, and the season starts at the end of September. It might feel like a long way away, but the Stars have a lot to do, and the puck will drop before they know it.

Also, Happy Canada Day and Independence Day to all of our readers across our great countries. Have a safe and terrific weekend!