In an original trade pitch from this offer, the Dallas Stars would send Jason Robertson to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Nikita Kucherov.
In an absolute stunner, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday night that Kucherov — the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s MVP — will not re-sign with the Lightning ahead of free agency next summer and prefers to be traded.
The Lightning will not want to lose him for nothing, so they need to start working the phones now and try to get the best deal possible for him.
So, why not a 1-for-1 swap between the Lightning and Stars, swapping Kucherov and Robertson, two impending unrestricted free agents?
Stars/Lightning Trade Pitch
In this author’s original trade pitch, the Stars and Lightning would swap Robertson and Kucherov in a 1-for-1 blockbuster trade between two of the NHL’s top Stanley Cup contenders.
Stars Trade:
- Jason Robertson ($12 million expiring contract)
Lightning Trade:
- Nikita Kucherov ($9.5 million expiring contract)
This would be a massive blockbuster trade, but with both teams having elite wingers on expiring contracts that aren’t guaranteed to re-sign with their current squads, it’s a deal that makes sense and one that works cap-wise, as the Lightning have enough room under their salary cap to eat the difference in contracts between the two players this season.
There would be no guaranteed extension by either player involved as part of this deal. Instead, both teams would get a chance to see how their new superstar plays in their system, and the players can see if they like playing for the team and the city, in what is essentially a pre-agency move that will allow both Robertson and Kucherov to see if a long-term fit exists in Tampa Bay and Dallas, respectively.
Nikita Kucherov & Jason Robertson Are Elite NHL Players
There is no doubt that Kucherov and Robertson are elite NHL players.
Kucherov is a two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL MVP, and he has also won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay. This season, the 33-year-old Russian has played in 12 games, scoring 4 goals and 15 points for the Lightning.
Last year, when he won the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time in his NHL career, Kucherov scored 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games for Tampa Bay.
As for Robertson, he is a 27-year-old American who has scored 5 goals and 13 points in 13 games this season. Last year, Robertson skated in all 82 games for the Stars, scoring 45 goals and 96 points for the Stars.
The Stars tried to re-sign him to a long-term extension this past summer, but he did not agree to a long-term contract with the team, and Dallas attempted to trade him to the Seattle Kraken in a sign-and-trade deal instead. However, Robertson would not agree to sign with the Kraken and returned to the Stars for his final season of team control.
Yes, Kucherov is a better player than Robertson. But with Kucherov wanting out of Tampa Bay, getting back a player like Robertson would be a great get, and on paper, I believe this is a very fair, win-win trade for both the Stars and Lightning.
So, what do you think of this original trade pitch for both teams?
Stars Trade Pitch Swaps Jason Robertson for Nikita Kucherov