The Minnesota Wild have a tough path to the Stanley Cup and a lot of it has to do with the strength of the Central Division. The Wild were in a three-way battle between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche in their playoff bracket this spring and if Minnesota wants to break through and have a chance at a championship, they’ll welcome any help from their division rivals to get there.
One such situation could be developing with Jason Robertson. Robertson is coming off a big season scoring 45 goals and recording 96 points while playing all 82 regular season games and it came with perfect timing as he’s set to enter restricted free agency. While he’s deserving of the high price tag he could command this summer, it also could come with a ticket out of the Central Division as Dallas mulls its options.
“The Stars have been adamant about their desire to sign the prolific scoring winger to a long-term extension, but finding the right number hasn’t been easy,” Chris Johnston wrote in his offseason trade board for The Athletic. “Robertson has a case to exceed teammate Mikko Rantanen’s $12 million annual salary, given the 18 percent jump in the salary cap since Rantanen signed his deal. But Dallas doesn’t have much room to maneuver with a full cap sheet.
“They’re operating against the clock, too, since Robertson has the ability to elect salary arbitration this summer and could set himself up for a reward that walks him directly to unrestricted free agency. A trade is not yet something the Stars want to seriously entertain, but they could get a haul for a player who picks apart opponents’ defenses and counts a quick release and high-end playmaking abilities among his offensive gifts.”
Jason Robertson’s trade rumors could make Wild’s path to the Cup easier
If the Stars trade Robertson this summer, it will be the end of a long-standing feud with the WIld. A second-round pick (39th overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Robertson broke out during the 2020-21 season with 17 goals and 45 points in 51 games before losing the Calder Trophy to Kirill Kaprizov.
The rivalry between the two franchise cornerstones has continued since then with Kaprizov scoring 230 to Robertson’s 213 and Robertson having the edge in assists (277 to 245) and points (490 to 475) while also playing in more games (456-397). But aside from Kaprizov vs. Robertson, the latter has also tormented the Wild when he’s gotten the opportunity.
Robertson has 14 goals and 22 points in 19 regular season meetings against the Wild during his career and turned it up with seven goals and 13 points in 12 playoff games. This year’s playoff performance, where Robertson scored five times and recorded eight points in a losing effort, was the latest chapter but it could be the one that prices him out of Dallas.
Sportsnet’s Frank Servalli said last week that Robertson could push for a deal that pays him an average annual value of ($14 million). While that seems fair, the Stars only have $10.14 million in cap space according to Puckpedia. Moves can be made to accommodate a new deal for Robertson, but that’s also assuming Stars GM Jim Nill does not want to make additional changes after falling in the first round of this year’s playoffs.
A more realistic option could be to hit the trade market, but that leads into who could step up with a suitable offer. While The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta listed the Chicago Blackhawks as a potential suitor that could keep him in the division, he also noted the New Jersey Devils “would be all over” Robertson if he became available.
It’s worth noting that Robertson is the final player on Johnston’s trade board, so a trade may be a long shot at the end of the day. But if Robertson isn’t dealt to Chicago, there’s a chance he could be headed somewhere else, which could force the Stars to take a step back and help the Wild potentially take a step forward in a critical offseason.
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