The Ottawa Senators traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for a haul of draft picks. Now those picks might not stay in Ottawa for long. The team is making a serious run at Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
“Things are very fluid, and there’s plenty of time for Dallas to explore its options, but sources say Ottawa is making a big push for Jason Robertson,” Pagnotta posted on X. “If a trade cannot be ironed out and he hits July 1 as an RFA, the Senators could present him with a significant offer sheet.”
Robertson is a restricted free agent. The Senators have the cap room to make a serious offer. After moving Tkachuk, they have nearly $27 million in cap space. Robertson’s four-year deal carried a $7.75 million annual cap hit. A new contract could land somewhere north of $12 million per year on an eight-year deal. That’s a big number but Ottawa can swing it.
The Senators Have the Picks to Get a Deal Done
Ottawa owns two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Tkachuk trade, plus their own first-rounder. They also have three third-round picks this year, an extra second-rounder in 2027, and an extra first-round pick in 2029. That’s a lot of ammunition if Dallas is willing to talk sign-and-trade.
But the Stars might not be eager to move Robertson. He just finished a monster season: 45 goals, 51 assists, 96 points. That’s the second-highest scoring season of his career. He’s played all 82 games in each of the last four seasons and hit 80 or more points every time. He’s durable and productive. Guys like that don’t grow on trees.
Dallas could match any offer sheet, but an offer sheet in the $12 million range would cost them four first-round picks as compensation. That’s a steep price for a team that likes its core. So Ottawa might have leverage here.
The Senators are clearly going for it. They just offloaded their captain and now they’re chasing a 26-year-old scoring winger who could anchor their top line for years. It’s an aggressive pivot. Whether it lands Robertson or forces Dallas to overpay to keep him, Ottawa is forcing the issue.
No deal is done yet. July 1 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets. That’s when things could get really interesting.
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