Major Stars & Flames Trade Not Out Of The Question

The Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames still making a big swap involving Jason Robertson and Rasmus Andersson makes a lot of sense. The Stars barely have any cap space and their problems are going to get much bigger next offseason with more players to sign and money not coming off the books.

According to Frank Seravalli, the Flames would love to acquire Robertson in a deal involving Andersson.

The Flames have just one year left of Andersson and he's very likely moving on, whether he's traded or not. The Flames have cap space and a need for star talent while the Stars desperately need right shot defensemen. While there will have to be more added on the Flames' end to acquire Robertson, this is a trade that could very well happen as it addresses a lot for both teams looking to win the Stanley Cup (Dallas) and make the playoffs (Calgary).

Robertson has been elite since he stepped into the NHL, scoring 168 goals and 394 points in 374 regular season games. He struggled in these latest playoffs and dealt with an injury, but overall, he can produce in the postseason as well, scoring 18 goals and 44 points in 56 games. The 26-year-old has received Hart trophy votes in two of the past four seasons, Selke Trophy votes in two of the past three seasons, and Lady Byng Trophy votes in three consecutive seasons. That shows he can lead his team, play a great two-way game, and keeps it clean and stays out of the box. The Flames need someone of his caliber right now, and even though Matthew Coronato and Connor Zary are improving a lot, adding Robertson would really boost their chances of being relevant again right away.

While it would be a big loss to lose Robertson, no team can necessarily build a super team and keep all of the talent they would like. Mason Marchment already had to be traded this offseason to make cap room, but the Stars have Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and managed to keep Jamie Benn and Mavrik Bourque on extremely cheap deals. And that's just the forward group.

Even if Robertson is traded, the Stars have four players who can push for point-per-game seasons still. What is needed is a solid defensive group. The team was fortunate to have moved Matt Dumba and moved on from Cody Ceci since neither of them were what Dallas needed on the right side. Miro Heiskanen will likely have to continue playing his off side, but Ilya Lyubushkin would be better suited for the third pairing. Nils Lundqvist, who will probably be an everyday player for the Stars next season if no moves are made, has been a question mark so far. The Stars will likely be looking to upgrade there at some point anyways.

This potential deal, while both sides would be losing something of importance in their lineup, will be gaining in another area where it is more needed. Both Dallas and Calgary would likely be better off for it, especially with extensions for both following the trade.