Islanders Dream Trade Target Emerges: Must Go All-In

The New York Islanders searched high and low for an elite goalscorer for the better part of a decade now. It’s been their top target in previous summers, yet they usually walked away empty-handed.

The likes of Alex DeBrincat and Nikolaj Ehlers were well-known targets of the Islanders, but neither ended up in the blue and orange. With Mathieu Darche now in charge, he’ll surely be looking to make a big move to put his stamp on this team.

Thus enters one giant name listed on trade boards and rumor mills yesterday: Jason Robertson.

Robertson, 25, would be the best possible acquisition the New York Islanders could make this summer. The elite goalscorer last finished with below 80 points in 2020-21, his rookie season.

In 21-22 and 22-23, he scored 41 and 46 goals, and with 79 then 109 points. Robertson’s two most recent campaigns featured him scoring 29 then 35 goals this year, notching 80 points in both. In both 2023-24 and 24-25, Dallas cut down on his ice time. In the playoffs this season, Dallas played him on the fourth line.

With the Stars close to being capped out with nine major RFA and UFAs, he’s become their newest trade chip. Dallas acquired and extended Mikko Rantanen midseason, ultimately knocking Robertson off their top line.

If it’s true that he’s available, the New York Islanders must go all-in to acquire him. Robertson has one year left on his contract, worth $7.75 million with no trade protection. Upon expiry, he becomes an RFA next summer.

What a Package Could Look Like:

Quite frankly, nobody should be safe in trade discussions for Robertson outside of Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Ilya Sorokin. It’s one of two times it may actually make sense to part with Noah Dobson to land a player, with the other being Elias Pettersson from Vancouver.

Dobson has constantly found his name in rumor mills recently due to a poor run of form at the end of 2023-24 that extended into 2024-25. Despite playing heavy minutes and consistently providing the best on-ice impacts of any defenseman on the team, some fans want to see him go due to his offensive drop-off and perceived big contract ask.

If the Islanders agree that his asking price is too high, he could be moved in a massive trade like this.

For the Stars, they need a right-shot defenseman as bad as any in the NHL. Cody Ceci, who struggled mightily in the playoffs, is a free agent. The only other right-shot defensemen rostered in Dallas are Matthew Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin. Both can be okay as top-four options, but the Stars want an improvement, especially after the Edmonton Oilers bullied them out of the playoffs.

That’s where Dobson could fit. However, I do believe his salary ask could create an issue. Yes, the tax effect is real, but by acquiring Dobson, they’ll very likely have to pay him more than Robertson’s current salary. Dobson for Robertson in a one-for-one swap is a fairly even more. The Islanders might need to add a draft pick to sweeten that deal,  but nothing more than a third-round pick.

Secondary Package Options:

If it’s not Dobson, perhaps the Stars would be moved by a package surrounding Ryan Pulock. Pulock, 30, has played top-four minutes for the New York Islanders for the better part of a decade. He and Adam Pelech made up one of the best pairings in the league, all until injuries began to take their toll in 2022.

Since recovering from multiple injuries, Pulock’s play struggled mightily this past season, particularly in Head Coach Patrick Roy‘s speed-based system. He confirmed at the end of the season that he’d been playing through an upper-body injury. At his best, Pulock is an elite shutdown defenseman and a booming slapshot that poses a threat on the other side of the rink.

Despite his struggles, there’s zero doubt Pulock would immediately become Dallas’ best right-shot defenseman by a pretty comfortable margin. With Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskanen running their power play efficiently, Pulock may fit their needs even better than Dobson would.

His contract could be a non-starter for the Stars, at a $6.15 million cap hit per season until 2030. That’s a huge risk for Dallas to take on, especially when giving up a superstar like Robertson.

In addition to Pulock, the Islanders would need to part with Colorado’s 2026 first-round pick, a prospect like Danny Nelson, and maybe more draft capital.

Alexander Romanov does not make sense to be moved here, as he is a left-shot defenseman, and the Stars already have both Harley and Heiskanen on their team as premier left-shot defenseman.

Final Thoughts:

The Islanders have plenty of pieces to make a huge move. They have the cap space, the assets, and the need to land a superstar goalscorer like Robertson. It’s something they’ve been trying to land since John Tavares lost Matt Moulson, then Thomas Vanek, throughout one season.

Yes, trading Dobson would create a bit of a hole on the right side of the Islanders’ defense. However, the team can just sign Tony DeAngelo to an extension at that point, using him as a temporary placeholder if nothing else. He can run a power play, and if he plays with Adam Pelech, his negative defensive impacts can be mitigated.

Another emerging story this summer is a huge lack of centers available. Jean-Gabriel Pageau‘s price in a trade could be artificially inflated due to high demand. Perhaps the Islanders could flip Dobson for Robertson. That creates another wild trade option.

Kyle Dubas desperately needs to move Erik Karlsson. If the Islanders truly want to play with speed, how about landing a Hall of Fame offensive-defenseman who proved at the 4 Nations Face-Off he’s got game when it matters.

He’d come as cheap as possible, and Pittsburgh would more than likely take multiple problem contracts back in return, just like San Jose did when they sent Karlsson to Pittsburgh.

If the Islanders move Dobson, Karlsson would become the best option on the trade market to fill his void, at least for now.

This summer provides a massive window of opportunity for the Islanders. The worst thing they can do is not even try.