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The Dallas Stars made the Western Conference Finals for the third consecutive season. This is quite the impressive feat, especially for a team in the West. It's been over a decade since a team from the West made three straight trips to the Conference Finals. It was the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings who achieved that feat back in the mid-2010s.
Unfortunately, there is a cost to this sort of success. Both the Kings and Blackhawks dealt with this cost during their respective runs. Dallas could not avoid this cost, either. The Stars spent the summer trading established roster players for future assets despite making the West Finals in 2025.
Mason Marchment and Matt Dumba were sent out of town in separate deals. Marchment went to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for two draft picks. Meanwhile, Dumba joined the Pittsburgh Penguins through trade. Dallas received a draft pick and a prospect in return for the veteran defenseman.
The Stars needed to create cap space to sign some of their other crucial free agents. However, their cap issues aren't entirely solved. They should be good to go for this season. Next summer, though, is an entirely different matter.
Dallas is likely to make more trades as the season progresses. And they could be rather significant deals. With this in mind, here are two way-too-early trade candidates for the Stars in 2025-26.
Stars won't escape Jason Robertson trade rumors
Much of the discourse around Dallas this summer has centered on Robertson. The 25-year-old winger is one of the best young wingers in the NHL. He is signed through the 2025-26 season before hitting restricted free agency next summer.
This is a point of contention for the Stars. Dallas certainly wants to keep Robertson around. However, they may not be able to afford the pay rise he will almost certainly command. Especially given that defenseman Thomas Harley is also due a significant pay rise when he hits restricted free agency next summer.
Trading Robertson is not going to be easy. And it's certainly not what they want to happen. However, this team won't escape the noise this season. So long as they remain unable to afford Robertson's massive salary, they will need to at least listen to offers on the 25-year-old.
Ilya Lyubushin could be next salary cap dump
The Stars certainly aren't afraid of dumping salary to give themselves room to operate. If they want to keep Robertson, they'll almost certainly need to do it again. Defenseman Ilya Lyubushin isn't the highest paid player on the squad, but he could still be a trade candidate.
Lyubushkin didn't have a fantastic 2024-25 campaign. The Dallas defenseman seemed a bit exposed during his first year in the Lone Star State. Still, he is expected to play a major role, at least to begin 2025-26. He currently slots in as the second-pairing defender on the right side of this blueline.
A bounce back season from the veteran defender makes this a much easier prospect for both sides. However, Lyubushkin could end up as a pure cap dump as things stand. Clearing his salary off the books would give Dallas a better chance at keeping Robertson. And that would certainly help keep their window open. Tough decisions are always made in these situations, and this could be one in a long line of them over the next year from the Stars.
