On Thursday, the Dallas Stars announced that they extended veteran forward Matt Duchene to a four-year, $18 million deal.
Duchene, 34, scored 30 goals and was at point-per-game last season, and he is very clearly still a key piece of Dallas's win-now competitive window. However, Duchene's signing puts Dallas just $455,000 under the salary cap - as of now - heading into next season with just nine forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders signed to their roster.
Dallas is in some serious cap trouble, and they will have to offload some contracts in order to not only sign enough players to fill their roster, but also to bring back more pending-unrestricted and restricted free agents that they are interested in keeping.
Enter the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas mentioned in his season-ending press conference that he would, potentially, look to the RFA trade-then-sign market - as well as just the trade market in general - to acquire young talent.
Pittsburgh has some trade assets to surrender. And Dallas may have a few players who fit the bill.
The most obvious candidate here is 23-year-old up-and-coming center Mavrik Bourque.
Should The Penguins Target Dallas Stars' RFA Forward?Ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency, the Pittsburgh Penguins - in addition to hiring a new head coach - figure to be busy.
A first-round pick (30th overall) by Dallas in 2020, Bourque registered 11 goals and 25 points in 73 games last season - which was his rookie year - in a limited role. Prior to cracking the NHL roster, Bourque had a fantastic 2023-24 campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars, putting up 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games. In two full seasons with Texas, he recorded 46 goals and 124 points.
Bourque is the exact kind of player that the Penguins should be seeking out to build out youth on their roster - especially because they need center depth. He's a playmaker by nature, is a good passer, and has a sneaky good shot that should lead to consistent production at the NHL level.
Because of the Stars' cap situation, Bourque could become a casualty to a team like the Penguins, who may be willing to take on a salary dump - someone like defenseman Matt Dumba - if Bourque is part of the return. In addition, bringing back somewhat of a wild card in Bourque - who was a healthy scratch for most of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs - would simply occupy precious cap space, even if only a little, that the Stars simply don't have.
Stars in Tough Cap Situation After Signing Veteran ForwardThe Dallas Stars have announced that they will be re-signing Matt Duchene.
This is a realistic target for Dubas and the Penguins, and they should pursue Bourque pretty aggressively. The Penguins also are in desperate need of bodies on their blue line, so taking on Dumba would actually benefit them roster-wise.
But if the Penguins want to shoot even bigger? If he does, indeed, become available on the market, Dubas should be doing everything he can to take a swing at star forward Jason Robertson.
Robertson, 25, has been one of the league's premiere goal-scorers for the past several years. His best season came in 2022-23, when he notched 46 goals and 109 points to go along with a plus-37. He is dangerous on the power play, he has high-end puck skills, he has a deceptive release, and he is a bigger body at 6-foot-3 - which are all things the Penguins will be looking to add.
With Robertson's Name Out There, Could Penguins Swing Blockbuster Trade?With both the NHL Draft and free agency on the horizon, trade speculation is running rampant in hockey circles at the moment.
He is a pending-RFA in 2026, so the challenge for the Penguins - should they somehow land him - would be to sell the rebuild-on-the-fly in order to extend him long-term. Many would argue that the Penguins are not in the right position to be targeting guys like Robertson right now, and - while that's generally true - he's not a player any team, even Pittsburgh, should pass on given the chance to acquire him.
In order to land Robertson, of course, there would be a steep price. This likely starts with winger Rickard Rakell - who matched Robertson's goal total last season - as well as a first-round pick and a higher-end, near-NHL-ready prospect.
But it's a price they should be willing to pay if they truly want to execute a rebuild on-the-fly and have someone long-term who can help bridge the contention gap.
Whether they go the very realistic route of trying to acquire Bourque or try to swing big if Robertson truly becomes available, Dallas is a team that Dubas should have on speed dial in the coming days and weeks.
Report: Penguins, Kings Having Trade ConversationsIt has been abundantly clear for quite a while now that three Pittsburgh Penguins are very much on the trade market.
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