There has been some talk over the last couple of weeks about the possibility of the Pittsburgh Penguins acquiring RFA forward Jason Robertson.
On the surface, the deal makes sense. The Pens have about $17 million in cap space. The club also has picks and prospects they could leverage to make the deal happen.
But there’s another move the organization made to potentially pave the way for Jason Robertson’s arrival in Steel City. The club traded for Jason’s brother, Nick.
The Penguins made a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs to bring in Nick Robertson this offseason in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
The deal made sense insofar as the Maple Leafs were not really keen on bringing the junior Robertson back. Plus, the familiarity between Kyle Dubas and Nick Robertson makes this deal all the more sensible.
But now that there are rumors about Jason Robertson, could this move be a way of helping the 40-goal scorer make up his mind to join his brother in Pittsburgh? It’s a possibility. While certainly not an ironclad one, it could be the sort of thing that would sway opinions in Pittsburgh’s favor.
What Would It Take for Penguins to Land Jason Robertson?
There are two ways in which the Penguins could land Jason Robertson. The “simplest” one would be via a trade. The Pens could work out a deal with the Dallas Stars to land Robertson’s rights.
The complication with that move would be to figure out what the Stars would want in order to make the deal happen. That could be a complicated story since Robertson has already vetoed one trade earlier this offseason.
The other way would be via a sign-and-trade deal. That situation would essentially mean the Penguins negotiating with Jason Robertson’s camp to figure out a new contract, then have the Stars sign him, and trade him to the Penguins.
The question here could be Pittsburgh putting together a package that makes sense for the Stars. It wouldn’t be hard for the Pens to figure out pieces that would work. But it would all depend on Robertson giving the green light to the trade.
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Pittsburgh Would Have to Clear Cap Space
Theoretically, the Penguins would have enough cap space to make a trade work. With nearly $17 million, that should be enough space. Nevertheless, the Carlsson offer sheet changed the calculus for every team in the NHL.
As such, there is little chance that Jason Robertson would come in under $16 million AAV. If he did, the Penguins wouldn’t have to dump contracts. And Dallas wouldn’t be able to take anything back because they’re already dangerously close to their cap limit.
That’s why there would have to be a cap-dump move preceding a potential Jason Robertson trade with the Stars. Perhaps a three-team deal might work out, with another club taking on one of Pittsburgh’s contracts.
Ultimately, there is a path for the deal to work. Still, it’s very difficult to determine if it could actually go down. With plenty of time left this summer, who knows if there could be a late-summer stunner in the works?
Penguins Made Move that Could Bring Jason Robertson In