The Jason Robertson rumor mill picked up another notch on Monday, and this time the Pittsburgh Penguins were the team tied to the buzz.
Robertson already turned down a huge eight-year, $120 million deal from the Seattle Kraken, and he has also shown no interest in landing with the St. Louis Blues. But according to Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh may have been in the mix too - and could still be a team to watch.
On Monday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman said the Penguins and Stars were working toward a Robertson trade that never materialized.
“Now I heard that there were talks with Pittsburgh on Friday or Saturday, and there were a couple of teams who thought there was some momentum there, but obviously it didn’t happen. Pittsburgh, by the way, is another team that people are saying is trying to do something with some heft to it. So I wasn’t so surprised to hear that,”
Robertson, 26, is an RFA after finishing out the four-year, $31 million extension he signed with Dallas in 2022. He was coming off a big season with the Stars, putting up 96 points with 45 goals and 51 assists in 82 games.
The fit in Pittsburgh has been easy to see for a while. Reports have repeatedly linked Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas to Robertson, and the appeal is obvious: the Penguins have plenty of cap space and could offer the kind of money Robertson would be looking for on a new deal.
The question, as always, is the return. Dallas would still have to be satisfied with whatever package Pittsburgh could put together for Jim Nill and the Stars.
For now, it’s another name to keep on the board. Friedman’s comments point to Dubas potentially chasing a major move in the days and weeks ahead as he tries to give Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the group one more real shot at a Stanley Cup.
In Other News...
Stars Fans Need To Brace For A Massive Core Player Decision
The trade market around the NHL is still active coming out of the Entry Draft, but the ground is shifting fast as teams weigh what their picks are actually worth and how aggressive they want to be now that the draft has passed. Elliotte Friedman said those changing conditions matter for clubs like Dallas, which is still trying to navigate a busy summer and keep track of bigger-name players who could suddenly come into play if their current teams decide to listen.
One name that keeps surfacing is Jason Robertson, and the situation has turned into the kind of core-player decision that can reshape a franchises direction. Robertson has one year left on his contract after turning down a long-term extension, and the Stars now have to decide whether to keep pushing for a resolution or see whether the market opens up enough to force a tougher conversation later in the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Linked To A Franchise Shifting Werenski Pursuit
The latest chatter around Dallas has turned into something bigger than a single-name rumor, with Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman floating the idea that the Stars could be in the mix for both Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin. It is the kind of wide-reaching speculation that immediately gets attention in a market chasing a championship window, especially because both players are established stars and both remain under long-term extensions with their current clubs.
Friedman also underscored how difficult a pursuit like that would be, which is part of what makes this one worth watching instead of dismissing. If Columbus ever seriously entertained moving Werenski, the conversation would almost certainly start with major assets, and Dallas would have to weigh how far it is willing to go to chase a package that would reshape the roster in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]