The New Jersey Devils are in crisis mode. For the sixth time in the last eight seasons, the franchise has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs — a failure that has fans in Newark and beyond demanding answers. And now, with the 2025-26 season in the rearview mirror, the front office is reportedly desperate to make a seismic move that could alter the Eastern Conference landscape.
According to multiple sources close to the situation, the Devils have zeroed in on Dallas Stars star forward Jason Robertson as the centerpiece of their offseason overhaul. Robertson, 26, just wrapped up the final year of a four-year deal with Dallas and is now a restricted free agent. And with the Stars cap-strapped to the tune of just $11 million in available space this summer, insiders say the possibility of a trade is not just realistic — it’s almost inevitable.
Robertson is exactly the kind of electrifying scorer New Jersey has been missing. The Devils averaged a paltry 2.76 goals per game this season, and Robertson has been a consistent 40-goal, 80-point threat for half a decade. This year alone, he netted 45 goals and 51 assists for 96 points — the second-highest totals of his career. Even his so-called “down” year in 2021-22 saw him score 40 times and add 38 helpers, numbers that would have led the Devils in both categories this season.
But landing Robertson won’t come cheap. The Stars, sources say, are in a peculiar position: they have zero picks in the first, third, and fourth rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft, and are missing second- and third-round selections in 2027. For a team with limited cap flexibility, restocking through the draft is a top priority. The Devils hold their own first- and second-round picks in each of the next five drafts, and sources claim a package centered around a first-rounder plus a future second-round pick could be the foundation of a deal.
But here’s where the drama really ramps up. The Stars are desperate for a right-handed defenseman to anchor their blue line. Many assumed the Devils would dangle veteran Dougie Hamilton — whose $9 million AAV contract runs for two more seasons — but league insiders are now skeptical. Hamilton, 32, has not played a full 82-game season since 2022-23, and his production has nosedived: just 12 goals and 27 assists in 77 games this year. Sources close to the Devils’ front office say the team has quietly lost faith in Hamilton as a core piece.
Enter Simon Nemec. The 22-year-old defenseman just completed his entry-level contract and is, like Robertson, a restricted free agent. That means any trade for Robertson would almost certainly require a sign-and-trade component. Nemec posted career highs this season with 11 goals and 15 assists in 68 games, and his two-way game has drawn comparisons to some of the league’s top young blueliners. According to one insider, “The Devils love Nemec, but they know you have to give up something special to get something special. Robertson is that kind of special.”
The proposed package reportedly doesn’t stop at Nemec and draft picks. The Devils could also sweeten the pot with a top prospect — and there are two names buzzing around the rumor mill. One is goaltender Mikhail Yegorov, a 20-year-old netminder who could become the Stars’ future replacement for veteran Casey DeSmith (who has just one season left on his deal). But the more tantalizing option, sources say, is defenseman Seamus Casey.
Casey, selected 46th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been a standout at every level. After a decorated two-year run at the University of Michigan — including All-Big Ten First Team and AHCA West First Team All-American honors — he has split time between the AHL’s Utica Comets and the NHL. In 59 AHL games, Casey has recorded 4 goals and 33 assists, and in 16 NHL games he’s already tallied 4 goals and 4 assists. Scouts describe him as a raw but high-upside blueliner who could slot into a bottom-two defensive rotation with proper development.
Bringing Nemec and Casey to Dallas would give the Stars two promising young defensemen to build around, while the draft picks could be used to find Robertson’s long-term replacement. For New Jersey, it’s an all-in move that signals they are done waiting. “The Devils know they can’t keep missing the playoffs,” one team insider told us. “They have the talent to win now, and Robertson is the missing piece. If this deal goes through, it changes everything in the East.”
As the offseason heats up, all eyes are on Dallas and New Jersey. Could this be the trade that reshapes the league? Fans are buzzing, insiders are leaking, and one thing is clear: the Devils are not messing around.
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