Offseason Scenario Swaps Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner for Stars' Jason Robertson

Marner, set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, is eligible to sign an eight-year extension with, and only with, Toronto before that date. All other 31 NHL teams are limited to offering him a seven-year deal.

Kypreos reported that a sign-and-trade could be the Leafs' best outcome, giving them a meaningful return while allowing Marner to secure both maximum term and salary.

Dallas, operating near the cap with just $980,000 in cap space, could benefit by spreading Marner’s cap hit over a longer contract while sending Robertson the other way to facilitate the move and secure the Leafs winger before he gets to market.

Friedman added fuel to the speculation, noting Dallas is “not in a rush” to extend Robertson, who carries a $7.75 million cap hit and becomes an restricted free agent in 2026. 

"If you're Dallas, you're not in any hurry. You have a few days to wait this out and see how it plays out," Friedman said. "I think that what's happening here is that Dallas is going to talk to Robertson about an extension. They're going to see if both sides — he's under contract for next year, so if you're Dallas, you can wait."

Friedman, however, thinks that Marner's answer to Dallas' interest in his services could shift the Stars' position on Robertson.

"If Marner says, 'Yeah, I'm willing to go there; can you guys work out a deal?'" Friedman said. "Then you're forced into another decision that would come down to two things.

"Number one, what does (Robertson) want and what does the team want? And number two, is there anything forcing Dallas to make decisions? So I think we'll get an idea about Robertson after July 1."