Why the 26-27 Penguins Are a Perfect Fit for a 26-Year-Old Stars Forward
Much of the talk during the 2026 NHL offseason has surrounded Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson. The 26-year-old game-changer holds one of the biggest questions of the summer, as teams await the decision of the restricted free agent, who recently filed for arbitration. Reports say that the California native is seeking $14-15 million per year, and despite receiving offers from Dallas, the Seattle Kraken, and the St. Louis Blues, who all fit his criteria, Robertson remains a mystery. That’s exactly where the Pittsburgh Penguins come in. The black and gold seem to slide in perfectly to land a superstar in Robertson, as they still sit in the top ten for projected cap space. Combine this with many prospects who are ready to make the jump to the NHL, and throw in the bonus of the 26-year-old’s younger brother Nicholas Robertson recently being acquired via trade, and the Penguins seem like a perfect fit for Dallas’ golden boy.
NHL insider Dave Pagnotta believes that Jason’s pull towards the Penguins is more likely than not, stating, “We know about the Seattle offer. It’s just not a team he wanted to be with. Pittsburgh, maybe that’s different.” Pagnotta’s basis that the two-time NHL First All-Star Team nominee wants to play for a contender, such as the Penguins, is backed by a report from Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff, who writes, “Sources indicate that the St. Louis Blues offered a package that included multiple first-round picks to the Dallas Stars for Jason Robertson, but he is not interested in signing there.” The 2021 All-Rookie nominee seems to want to stay in Dallas or join a team he’s confident can have playoff success. Prior to last season, Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for three consecutive years. However, this comes off of a 16-year postseason streak, culminated by back-to-back Stanley Cup Final victories in 2016-2017. A Pens team known for its playoff success, which made its return a season ago, intrigues a young player like Jason, who’d get to join the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in an upward-trending Steel City.
Coming off a 45-goal and 96-point season, anyone would be interested in the young playmaker. Jason has an incredible hockey IQ for being just 26 years old, and his ability to consistently choose elite shot placement has led to his goal-scoring finesse. The Penguins, primarily supported by their large cap space and gung-ho general manager Kyle Dubas, have floated to the top of the Robertson rumors since their season ended. Even back on July 6th, Sportsnet journalist Elliotte Friedman mentioned that Pittsburgh had already engaged in serious talks with the Stars about acquiring the 26-year-old. Josh Yohe from The Athletic only added gas to the fire by noting that Dallas’s general manager, Jim Nill, didn’t let the talks get serious, while acknowledging that Dubas envisions Jason as a “long-term building block.” So far, no reports have surfaced to suggest that the 2017 second-round pick would say no to joining the Penguins. Pittsburgh’s GM has made moves before, and warnings that a veteran would be traded have circulated. Per Yohe, “If the Stars come calling, Dubas won’t hesitate to make a substantial offer for a player he’s long coveted. If Dubas gets to make that offer, there’s a growing belief in the Penguins organization that Robertson would be happy to come to Pittsburgh.”
