Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 Alternatives to Matthew Tkachuk the New Jersey Devils Should Pursue

By Jonathan Bailey

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 04: Timo Meier #28 of the San Jose Sharks poses for a portrait before the 2022 NHL All-Star game at T-Mobile Arena on February 04, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 04: Timo Meier #28 of the San Jose Sharks poses for a portrait before the 2022 NHL All-Star game at T-Mobile Arena on February 04, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
Jason Robertson #21 of the Dallas Stars. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

Jason Robertson

The Dallas Stars turned a few heads in the 2021-22 season by sneaking into the playoffs with their strong defensive play, spearheaded by their young stud goalie Jake Oettinger, who also stood on his head in the playoffs. The Stars were also the only playoff team in the league with a negative goal differential this past season.

Unfortunately, their playoff performance was rather dismal, as they could have easily knocked off the Calgary Flames but relied on their defensive prowess to stumble to a Game 7 loss, only made possible by the performances of Oettinger.

Now, the team faces a cap crisis of its own. Jake Oettinger and Star left wing Jason Robertson are both RFAs looking for lucrative long-term deals, but the team only has $11m in cap space with 6 players making $3m or more on no-move clauses. Generally speaking, it’s harder to find a franchise goalie than a 40-goal winger, but both are extremely essential to a franchise’s success.

If the 6’3 California native Robertson is commanding market value and serious about playing for a winner during his prime years, the Dallas Stars might be behooved to move him for a top prospect and other mid-tier prospects and picks that can develop and earn meaningful time while the Stars wait for some of those bad contracts to expire, all while retaining their franchise netminder.

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