Quote:
Originally Posted by The Cobra
I don't think Robertson is refusing to sign an extension, the Stars simply don't like his demands.
Doubtful he signs one with Calgary unless it's a massive overpay.
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"The two sides are not agreeing on a contract". Is that better? The point is that if they cannot come to an agreement, the Stars are going to have to make a choice between trading Robertson for assets back or going to arbitration next summer, having him sign a 1 year deal, and then walk to UFA in 2027. Side note: I am curious what he could get in arbitration... $10+M?
I thought his ceiling for contract demands was $12M based on Rantanen's contract but now that Kaprizov has signed that $17M contract, it sure feels like $12M is the floor of Robertson's next contract.
Anyway, Calgary has the room to sign Robertson and has some good pieces that the Stars need but I would still advocate that if the Flames did acquire Robertson they would need to flip him immediately for the C that is needed. But the biggest issue and does not make sense is the Stars trading away their LW depth and not seeking a replacement for Robertson.
The bold move would be to send them Huberdeau. He is a "cost controlled" top line player and he appears to be getting back into form with a 28 goal season under his belt. Putting him on a line with Hintz and Rantanen would be a good move as he could dish the puck to two guys able to score (and also be able to generate his own goals). Huberdeau should be onboard with the move as it gets him onto a contender that will make multiple runs at a cup.
The dollars are the tough part. The Flames would need to take back Lyubushkin and retain 50% on Andersson AND 15-20% on Huberdeau to make it fit this year.
My crazy proposal:
Huberdeau (20% retained for 6 years) + Andersson (50% retained for 1 year) + Vegas 2026 1st
for
Robertson + Lyubushkin + Bischel
The Stars solidify their top 4 D and with Huberdeau's contract locked in for the next 6 years they have the cap flexibility to extend both Harley and Andersson. Losing Robertson and Bischel hurts but the Flames are retaining $14M+$6M of Lyubushkin's contract to make this happen for the Stars. Also, replacing Bischel with Bertucci saves the Stars a bit more money on the NHL cap.
The Flames get younger can give Robertson a big contract, give Bischel a top 4 spot and can try to utilize Lyubushkin to ease in Pachal and Parekh into bigger roles.