The New York Rangers are looking to bounce back after missing the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, it was a season marked by struggles all over the ice, so there is a lot of work to do. Therefore, it seems that a trade might put this team on the right track. Jason Robertson could be the most realistic trade acquisition for the Rangers in the 2025 NHL offseason as the rumors heat up.

The Rangers traded Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks, which opened up cap space. Additionally, New York also extended Matt Rempe to a new contract. This currently puts them at a cap space of $13 million, leaving them with some wiggle room. Because of that wiggle room, there is a chance the Rangers could go after a big player.

New York is looking to get younger while competing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Notably, the trade of Kreider indicates a shift in the philosophy. The Rangers have several veterans on their roster, and it would be ideal to try and switch things up. While players like Artemi Panarin might be safe for now, it's important to note that he will be a free agent as well after this season. That means there is slightly more urgency to capitalize on his star power while he is still here.

The Stars are attempting to ship Robertson out to open up as much cap space as possible. Moreover, this is a player who is an unrestricted free agent after next season, so Dallas would rather get something rather than nothing. The Stars and Rangers could help one another and also improve. Robertson could be one of the most realistic trade acquisitions while also serving as the new face of the Rangers, along with Adam Fox.

Jason Robertson would be a realistic trade acquisition in 2025 NHL offseason

The Rangers would have to send a substantial package just to acquire Robertson from the Stars. First, New York would have to send a 2025 first-round pick. If the Rangers want to get creative, they would add a conditional 2026 second-round pick, which would be a reality if they were to make the Eastern Conference Finals. New York would also have to add a player like Alexis Lafrenière to the deal to convince Dallas.

Lafrenière had a great season, scoring 24 goals and 33 assists and making great progress as a top-six winger. Overall, he is just 23 years old and is still in the process of developing. Lafrenière is a former top pick who could be great for Dallas. Additionally, he would cost slightly less than Robertson, as he is scheduled to take a $7.45 million cap hit while Robertson would take a $7.75 million cap hit. That would leave the Stars with enough room to have Lafrenière on their team while also shedding Robertson from their payroll.

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The only possible downside would be attempting to pay him beyond this season. However, that's a can that could be kicked down the road. For the Rangers, it would give them the star they want and provide the opportunity to mix and match him wherever they choose.

Rangers would get a proven scorer

Lafrenière is a young guy, but he is also not as established as Robertson. Therefore, it would be a trade that would make sense for New York. The Rangers want to improve on a squad that was 12th in goals, 11th in assists, 15th in shooting percentage, but just 28th on the power play. Robertson could help remedy that.

In the 2024-25 season, Robertson scored 35 goals and 45 assists, including nine power-play conversions. His ability to get in front of the net was paramount to the success of the Stars, and much better than the two power-play goals that Lafrenière had. Part of what made the Rangers so successful in the 2023-24 season was their strength on the power play, as they ranked third in power-play percentage. That is the level that New York wants to get back to, and trading for Robertson could help.

If the Rangers want to win in the NHL offseason and morph into Stanley Cup contenders again, they need to make the right deal. New York will try to nail its free agent goals. Then, the Rangers will attempt to swing the trade that could put them back in the fold among the elites in the Eastern Conference. In order to compete with the defending champion Florida Panthers, New York will need all the help it can get. Acquiring Robertson would be the catalyst that helps them improve upon this season's struggles and put them back into title consideration.