Rumors about Jason Robertson are all over the place right now, but it does seem the Dallas Stars are at least testing the market on the star winger after a “down playoffs.” Robertson, who will turn 26 in July, has put up back-to-back 80-point seasons, with 35 goals this year, after putting up 109 points the year before, which included a second straight 40-goal season. Robertson is a star, so Dallas fielding offers seems odd and doesn’t really pass the sniff test, but even on the chance he is available, the Rangers should be exploring trade options.
Jason Robertson is a rare case where the rumors don’t make sense but you can galaxy brain yourself into thinking the Stars could make him available. The talk is the Stars want to be a tad tougher to play against and they also have some pretty big holes at right defense and bottom-six depth. These are two areas the Rangers can address with youth while also addressing their need for a tougher lineup that wants to contend for a Cup next year.
What the Rangers can offer for Jason Robertson
If the Rangers are in on Jason Robertson, they can offer one thing most teams can’t: A playoff proven veteran winger who, despite a down year, is still a solid asset on a team competing for a Stanley Cup. That, of course, is Chris Kreider. Despite the sour taste in Rangers fans’ mouths this season, Kreider is still a good and respected commodity that would fit a good amount of Dallas’ needs. Thing is, Kreider for Robertson is not realistic and Dallas laughs. So the Rangers need to add a lot more.
There’s also Artemi Panarin lingering, which would be the best immediate return for Dallas in terms of production, but again it’s Jason Robertson, so the Rangers need to add, though probably not as much as they would if they focused on Kreider.
Dallas has a need for right handed defensemen, as their big three on defense (Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell) are all lefties. Lian Bischell is another LD primed to make a splash next year as well. Handedness on the blue line is certainly overblown, but it’s still a necessary lineup balancer to add flexibility. Dallas has Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba (none are good), though their big three do play RD as well. The Rangers can offer Will Borgen or Braden Schneider to address their need for another right handed shot on defense.
What would a potential trade look like?
If the Rangers get to the point of making a realistic offer for Jason Robertson, then expect it to include multiple roster players of varying age. Dallas has $14 million in cap space, so taking on extra space would need to be offset. Robertson’s $7.75 million cap hit is more than Kreider’s but $4 million less than Panarin’s, so there’s wiggle room to get things done.
If the Stars want Kreider, going the proven playoff performer route, then it’s safe to assume they’d want Schneider as well, and probably a bottom-six sweetener like Adam Edstrom. However, we do know that Chris Drury is loathe to trade Schneider, so Schneider may be a non-starter, though even with him it still feels like Dallas gets a raw deal.
Panarin is the better trade option in any potential Jason Robertson deal, as he is an immediate replacement on the scoresheet. This doesn’t seem like a good fit in a one-for-one trade for Dallas, but if the Rangers add someone like Borgen or Schneider, then Dallas needs to send something of value back. Lian Bischel is certainly interesting. Is Panarin+Schneider for Robertson+Bichel fair value? I think it’s a lot closer than the Kreider package above, but the money would need to be worked out, along with the Schneider wrinkle.
If the Rangers are able to land Jason Robertson, he’d be their next superstar in the post-Panarin era. Even if Robertson is due a massive raise after next season, he’s well worth every penny. He’s a top winger in the game, and the Rangers would benefit from trading Panarin without needing to replace his production in the aggregate. There’s certainly a deal to be made, but Robertson even being available should be taken with a massive grain of salt.
