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The Dallas Stars (50-20-12) desperately wanted to reach the Stanley Cup final this season. After three straight seasons of losing the Western Conference Finals, they replaced head coach Peter DeBoer with Glen Gulutzan. With their balanced roster, the Stars had another strong regular season, and they once again looked like a Stanley Cup contender.
Unfortunately, Nill didn’t do a great job on capitalizing on the roster. While the division rival Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes to go all-in on their core, the Stars’ biggest trade acquisition was defenseman Tyler Myers, a third-pair defenseman. He didn’t move the needle, and the Stars fell the the Wild in the first round.
More: How to live stream Hurricanes vs Canadiens: NHL Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4, TV channel
They didn’t even make the Western Conference Finals this time around, giving Jim Nill a few tough decisions to make over the 2026 offseason.
Apr 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Stars fans have seen Jason Robertson transition into a franchise superstar in the 2020s. He’s averaged just below 40 goals and 50 assists a season since the 2021-22 season. This season, he was arguably the most consistent player for the Stars, leading the team in points (96) and in goals (45).
More: CHL bans Jordan Tourigny for rest of Memorial Cup after disturbing stomping incident
However, he’s a restricted free agent. The term on his new contract could be groundbreaking. AFP Analytics suggests he could make north of $11.9 million on a long-term deal, but with the cap rising next year, teams eager to offer-sheet Robertson, he could make a lot more.
The Stars will have plenty of cap space to re-sign Robertson. With just one more year of club control left, that’s their only option if they want to keep him around.
More: Pat McAfee takes shot at Canada while Praising Golden Knights’ run
However, if a team offers him more than $11.93 million, and they decline to match it, the Stars get four first-round picks. Jim Nill could see this as an opportunity to retool the roster with young talent. That could go hand-in-hand with this next question.
Nov 30, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) and center Tyler Seguin (91) skate against the Ottawa Senators during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Stars have had Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for more than a decade now. Seguin has been a part of the team since the 2013-14 season, while Benn started his career with the Stars in the 2009-10 season. Both of them are franchise legends, and when their careers are done, both of their jerseys could be hanging in the rafters.
However, the futures of both are in serious doubt after this season. Benn is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Seguin has one year left on his contract. The Stars could move off of both of them if they’re trying to retool or go for a bigger piece.
More: Vegas challenging Florida Panthers for ‘most hated’ NHL team crown
Seguin has suffered long-term injuries in back-to-back seasons, while Benn has just three points in 24 playoff games in the last two seasons. If the Stars want to re-sign Benn, AFP Analytics predicts his contract will be cheap, projected as a one-year, $1.29 million deal.
They’re in a decent position with how they’ve dealt with Benn and Seguin. They avoided signing Benn to another long-term deal, and they’ve paid their new wave of talent instead of signing their old core players. However, Dallas already seems to be preparing for life without them.
Apr 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) tries to poke the puck past Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Lastly, the Stars need to agree on a deal with Mavrik Bourque. The 24-year-old center’s first full season of NHL experience yielded good results: he netted 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games. He’s a pending RFA next season.
More: Last time each New York sports team won a championship
Dallas has Bourque under control until the 2030 offseason, but he is arbitration-eligible. Similar to Robertson, Bourque runs the risk of earning an offer-sheet from a team, which will force the Stars to have to match their offer.
With this thinking in mind, I think the Mavrick Bourque extension could be more than AFP Analytics’ projected two-year deal worth $2.96 million annually. I could see him making $4-5 million annually on his next contract. Regardless of what he makes, he provides vital depth scoring for the Stars, and he’s an important part of the forward core.
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Unfortunately, Nill didn’t do a great job on capitalizing on the roster. While the division rival Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes to go all-in on their core, the Stars’ biggest trade acquisition was defenseman Tyler Myers, a third-pair defenseman. He didn’t move the needle, and the Stars fell the the Wild in the first round.
More: How to live stream Hurricanes vs Canadiens: NHL Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4, TV channel
They didn’t even make the Western Conference Finals this time around, giving Jim Nill a few tough decisions to make over the 2026 offseason.
What does it take to re-sign Jason Robertson?
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Apr 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Stars fans have seen Jason Robertson transition into a franchise superstar in the 2020s. He’s averaged just below 40 goals and 50 assists a season since the 2021-22 season. This season, he was arguably the most consistent player for the Stars, leading the team in points (96) and in goals (45).
More: CHL bans Jordan Tourigny for rest of Memorial Cup after disturbing stomping incident
However, he’s a restricted free agent. The term on his new contract could be groundbreaking. AFP Analytics suggests he could make north of $11.9 million on a long-term deal, but with the cap rising next year, teams eager to offer-sheet Robertson, he could make a lot more.
The Stars will have plenty of cap space to re-sign Robertson. With just one more year of club control left, that’s their only option if they want to keep him around.
More: Pat McAfee takes shot at Canada while Praising Golden Knights’ run
However, if a team offers him more than $11.93 million, and they decline to match it, the Stars get four first-round picks. Jim Nill could see this as an opportunity to retool the roster with young talent. That could go hand-in-hand with this next question.
What’s the status on their longest tenured players?
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Nov 30, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) and center Tyler Seguin (91) skate against the Ottawa Senators during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Stars have had Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for more than a decade now. Seguin has been a part of the team since the 2013-14 season, while Benn started his career with the Stars in the 2009-10 season. Both of them are franchise legends, and when their careers are done, both of their jerseys could be hanging in the rafters.
However, the futures of both are in serious doubt after this season. Benn is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Seguin has one year left on his contract. The Stars could move off of both of them if they’re trying to retool or go for a bigger piece.
More: Vegas challenging Florida Panthers for ‘most hated’ NHL team crown
Seguin has suffered long-term injuries in back-to-back seasons, while Benn has just three points in 24 playoff games in the last two seasons. If the Stars want to re-sign Benn, AFP Analytics predicts his contract will be cheap, projected as a one-year, $1.29 million deal.
They’re in a decent position with how they’ve dealt with Benn and Seguin. They avoided signing Benn to another long-term deal, and they’ve paid their new wave of talent instead of signing their old core players. However, Dallas already seems to be preparing for life without them.
What does Mavrik Bourque’s contract look like?
You must be registered for see images attach
Apr 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) tries to poke the puck past Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Lastly, the Stars need to agree on a deal with Mavrik Bourque. The 24-year-old center’s first full season of NHL experience yielded good results: he netted 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games. He’s a pending RFA next season.
More: Last time each New York sports team won a championship
Dallas has Bourque under control until the 2030 offseason, but he is arbitration-eligible. Similar to Robertson, Bourque runs the risk of earning an offer-sheet from a team, which will force the Stars to have to match their offer.
With this thinking in mind, I think the Mavrick Bourque extension could be more than AFP Analytics’ projected two-year deal worth $2.96 million annually. I could see him making $4-5 million annually on his next contract. Regardless of what he makes, he provides vital depth scoring for the Stars, and he’s an important part of the forward core.
Continue reading...
