The Boston Bruins bolstered their offensive talent in the top six by acquiring JJ Peterka at the draft. The idea behind adding another winger opposite David Pastrnak to keep him happy and add more talent around him was smart, but the player himself might not be as talented as the Bruins need to truly be a Stanley Cup contender.
One player who would bring that level of talent is Dallas Stars' winger Jason Robertson. He has been connected to the Bruins in the past as a strong candidate to leave Dallas, but he signed a one-year, $12 million deal this offseason to push himself to UFA status next summer and delay long-term negotiations.
If we're being completely honest, it feels like there is no way that Robertson and the Stars ever reach a long-term deal after everything that happened between the two parties in the past year. Robertson continuously turned down trade offers for Dallas to accrue some assets, and after they traded away valuable players to make cap room, he only took a one-year deal to give himself an out from the franchise.
It's unclear how the locker room will even react to Robertson's tactics and whether that could turn sour. There is a strong likelihood that the high-scoring winger won't even make it to the end of the season in Dallas and moves on before the trade deadline. If the Bruins are in the mix at the deadline, they have the assets to trade for him early and attempt to get a long-term deal done.
Jason Robertson's fit with Bruins
The Bruins don't currently have the space to take on Robertson's $12 million deal, so there would have to be a player or two going to Dallas at the deadline to make this deal work. Casey Mittelstadt seems like the most logical salary to move out, while there could still be a deal to be made for Mason Lohrei with their current defensive logjam.
The Bruins currently have approximately $35 million in cap space for the 2027-28 season, with potential extensions for Pavel Zacha, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov as the only major items on the books if Lohrei and Mittelstadt do find a new home. There is also a possibility that the Bruins move on from Zacha if they were able to get Robertson.
The fit is there for Robertson in Boston. With the addition of Peterka, Robertson could now have his own line, giving the Bruins a star winger on each line with him and Pastrnak, with Peterka and Hagens hopefully working out and giving them each a strong linemate.
There is still a long way to go before Robertson is a Bruin, but it is something to monitor as the season goes on. If he does make it to free agency, Boston needs to be in on him.
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