Jason Robertson and Brady Tkachuk are undoubtably two of the top left wingers in the NHL. Jeff Marek reported that the Dallas Stars, not the heavily favored New York Rangers, could be the favorite if Tkachuk ever became available for trade.
If the Senators were willing to accept a Robertson for Tkachuk swap, would the Stars rather have the point producing sniper Robertson or the jack of all trades power forward in Tkachuk? Justin Li argues that the Stars would be better off with Tkachuk while Grace Fuller contends that they would be better keeping Robertson.
Round 1: the pros of each player
Justin: The Tkachuk brothers are undoubtably unicorns in the modern NHL. They possess the most grit of any top 50 player in the NHL and have proven capable of scoring at least a point per game each season. In the past three seasons, the Stars have been bounced in the Western Conference Finals, despite being favorites, largely for two reasons: their lack of toughness and their best players not rising up to the biggest moments. Their scarcity of toughness on the Stars roster has allowed the Oilers to impose their physical will against Dallas the past two springs and even take liberties on the superstars such as Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Robertson himself. The Oilers have laid over 400 hits on the Stars while Dallas has only responded with a measly 312. This also has bled into the second issue; it has caused their superstars’ performances to decline. Hintz and Heiskanen combined for less than 10 points the past two series against Edmonton while Robertson had 9 in 11 games. The Stars will almost never win if this is the level of production their stars will create. Tkachuk would arguably be the best solution, solving both the physicality and postseason scoring issues, as opposed to chasing one dimensional grinders such as Mathieu Olivier. The Stars’s issue greatly resembles the Florida Panthers’s problem in the summer of 2022, coming off back to back defeats to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They were labeled as soft as their superstars failed to rise to the moment. Then they sent their superstar point producer, coming off a Hart trophy nomination, along with other pieces to the Calgary Flames for the older Tkachuk, Matthew. While Matthew obviously is not available for trade, the Stars should not miss their opportunity to start their own Florida-like dynasty with the younger Tkachuk brother.
Grace: Robertson was drafted in 2017, a second round pick, 39th overall for the Dallas Stars. From the moment he stepped foot in the Lone Star State, he has been one of the NHL’s best scorers point producers. During his rookie 2020–21 season, he led all NHL rookies with 28 assists and 39 even-strength points. He reached 30 points in just 37 games — the fastest by any Stars rookie since the team relocated from Minnesota to Dallas in 1993. In just his first full season, the 6’3” 26 year old from Arcadia, California led the Stars with 41 goals, 13 power-play goals, 220 shots on goal, and an 18.6 percent shooting percentage. His peak in the 2022-23 season is one very few can match. Early that season, he was honored as the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending Nov. 6, after recording eight points (four goals and four assists). Jason Robertson reached his Hart Trophy peak during the 2022–23 NHL season, finishing fourth in voting for the league’s most valuable player. This past 2024-25 season, Robertson had 5 goals, 45 assists, 80 points, and a 17:48 average TOI in 82 games. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs he scored 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points, and averaged a 15:51 TOI in 11 games. Furthermore, Robertson is one of the young studs in the NHL, having only played five years, resulting in less wear and tear on his body. Robertson has had very few injuries in his five years of playing, though in April 2025, Jason Robertson sustained a major lower-body (knee) injury that sidelined him for the first round of the NHL playoffs; he returned for the second round. Earlier, in September 2024, he underwent offseason foot surgery to remove a cyst, which caused him to miss the Dallas Stars’ training camp and preseason. Ultimately, he remains the Stars’ most reliable goal scorer and a crucial factor in keeping them among the league’s top offensive teams.
Round 2: Critiques of both players
Justin: Robertson has grown into a fan favorite in Dallas and it would obviously suck to lose him, but keeping him could also close the Stars’s Stanley Cup window. He will be an RFA this summer and reports indicate that he is seeking a contract around $12 million a year, matching Mikko Rantanen’s deal. Part of the winning equation in Florida has been General Manager Bill Zito’s ability to retain his players on bargain contracts, such as Aleksander Barkov’s extremely low $10 million cap hit and the ludicrously valuable, $76 million, 8-year pact Matthew Tkachuk signed upon his arrival. By signing his top players to bargains, he has been able to maintain the Panthers’s depth each year and even add to it by trading for players such as Brad Marchand, who go on to score key goals in the postseason. So far, Jim Nill has done a similarly superb job of managing the salary cap in Dallas and retaining the star Stars on favorable deals, such as Wyatt Johnston’s 5-year, $42 million extension. If he were to keep Robertson, he would have to sign him, presumably to a deal carrying a cap hit close to $12 million, inhibiting the Stars’s ability to acquire better players in the future. Brady Tkachuk is locked up to a cap hit less than $8.5 million until the summer of 2028. A deal that returns this much value on investment would push the Stars’s cup window even wider. Robertson’s 2022-23 season was one of the best in Stars franchise history, but he has failed to build upon it and has regressed, if anything. He has failed to reach a point-per-game these past two seasons and scored less points the past two postseasons. Speaking of the postseason, it is the time when the performances of each team’s best players, both in leadership and on-ice performance, come to the forefront. As mentioned, Robertson’s output in the springtime pale in comparison to his regular season totals while his leadership has never been credited to helping the Stars succeed. Tkachuk, meanwhile, has been one of the best leaders in hockey, and elevated his performance from the regular season to the postseason against a stingy Toronto Maple Leafs team. He has also shown his ability to rise for big games on the international stage, both at the World Juniors and 4-Nations representing the USA for teams Robertson failed to make. To top it off, despite having played two less seasons than Tkachuk, Robertson is actually older than the star power forward.
Grace: You’ve heard the saying “a team is only as strong as its leader.” A team is often a reflection of their captain. I guess that explains the Senators’ poor performance under their captain Brady Tkachuk. To start off, Tkachuk is prone to physical play, unlike Robertson. He’s already expected to miss a month due to a recent injury. This puts pressure on the Senators as they’re without their captain very early in the just starting 2025-26 season. Tkachuk is generally known for his physical and aggressive playing style. Robo has rarely, if ever, been in the box for penalties as he’s usually the one to try to break up fights his fellow players might find themselves in. Tkachuk would be not be a good fit for the Stars as they already have Lian Bichsel and Alexandar Petrovic to rack up the penalties for the Stars. On October 14th, starting a fight to stand up for center Matt Duchene after taking a violent blow by a Minnesota Wild player, Petrovic initiated a fight standing up for his fellow star just over 17 minutes left in the third period, earning 5 minutes for fighting, 2 minutes for initiating, and 10 minutes for misconduct! He was in the box the rest of the period! Lian Bichsel racks up the most penalties alone over every other star on the team, giving their opponents easy power plays, potentially causing the team to lose because of this. While it is important to be aggressive in the NHL and while some say the Stars need to be aggressive, aggressiveness is not what the Stars are and need to be known for. Tkachuk would not fit in with the dynamic on the Stars. Jason Robertson’s offensive output clearly gives him an edge over Brady Tkachuk. Over his NHL career, Robertson has recorded 168 goals and 226 assists in 374 games, putting him at over 1.05 points per game. Meanwhile, Tkachuk’s career line stands at 191 goals and 213 assists in 512 games, which works out to about 0.79 points per game. In the 2024-25 season, Robertson notched 35 goals and 45 assists (80 points), while Tkachuk was at 29 goals and 26 assists (55 points). Even allowing for their different styles of play—Tkachuk brings physicality, leadership, and grit—Robertson’s superior scoring consistency and efficiency show that he is the more potent offensive asset. While Brady Tkachuk is a strong leader and physical presence, there are several downsides to his style of play. One major criticism is his inconsistency on offense—although he can score in bunches, he often goes through stretches where his production drops off. His aggressive, hard-hitting approach also leads to frequent penalties, which can put his team at a disadvantage. Tkachuk’s focus on physical play sometimes comes at the expense of defensive responsibility, leaving gaps in coverage in his own zone. Additionally, compared to other elite forwards, his puck-handling and playmaking skills are less refined, and his shooting accuracy can be streaky. While his intensity and energy are valuable, Brady Tkachuk’s lack of offensive efficiency and tendency to take undisciplined penalties limit his overall effectiveness as an NHL forward.
Round 3: Patching up each player’s case (conclusion)
Justin: To start, the Senators’ poor season performances during Tkachuk’s tenure can hardly be blamed on their captain’s performance and leadership. Rather, it was management’s ineptitude to correct a lack of quality goaltending and poor defensive play that doomed the Senators; over their last five seasons, they ranked 27th, 22nd, 20th, 26th and 13th in goals against. They improved to 13th last year once they finally acquired a capable goaltender in Linus Ullmark, probably the only capable goaltender Brady has gotten to enjoy during his tenure. Tkachuk was also their leading scorer in three of those five seasons. It is true that power forwards like Tkachuk tend to sustain more injuries and exit their primes and playing careers faster (ex: Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton), but they are also necessary for teams looking to make serious runs in the playoffs. In the playoffs, referees tend to put their whistles away and are more allowing of physical play, negating most of the unnecessary penalty concerns about Tkachuk. As seen in the Four Nations tournament, Tkachuk can be a clutch goal scorer while simultaneously getting under the skin of his opponents and occasionally fighting them, as he did against Canada’s Sam Bennett in the US’s 3-1 victory. The Stars are already known have an excess of flashy speed and skill, making Robertson more expendable, and play this style of hockey (great for racking up regular season points). However, the Stars are not known for their aggressiveness and it has led to their demise over the past three seasons, particularly against the Oilers, when they are pushed and bent to their opponents’ wills. This will only become a bigger issue without Mason Marchment, who the Stars due to salary cap constraints (some of which Tkachuk would relieve with his bargain contract). Tkachuk would certainly solve the physicality issue while adding needed postseason reliability that Robertson simply does not provide. Tkachuk’s regular season offensive production may be inconsistent, but his leadership and ability to lead and elevate his teammates such as Tim Stutzle, are not. His defensive play does require work, but it is difficult to imagine him not improving playing in the Stars’ system with more responsible defenders compared to the inferior counterparts in Ottawa. Leon Draisaitl was once an atrocious defender but just finished sixth in Selke voting. If the Stars simply intend to add division titles but constantly fall short before the Stanley Cup Final, they should keep Robertson. If they hope to add just their second Stanley Cup banner to the rafters of American Airlines Center, they should swap him for Tkachuk.
Grace: While I agree that the Stars have started off their 2025-26 poorly, the Dallas Stars new head coach, Glen Gulutzan, says that slow starts can happen when there’s a lot of change. Now I don’t know if I necessarily believe him as the Stars currently have a four-game losing streak, but Jason Robertson already has 3 goals, 4 assists, and 7 points in just seven games played. This slow start could also just be the Dallas Stars getting used to and getting a feel for their new coach and his coaching. Along with his contract motivation, he’ll also be striving to earn a spot on Team USA’s Olympic roster—a goal that could push his performance to new career-best levels. Keeping Jason Robertson on the Dallas Stars is highly beneficial for both the team’s present success and its long-term future. Robertson is one of the NHL’s premier young forwards, consistently producing elite offensive numbers and serving as a cornerstone of the Stars’ top line. His ability to score, create plays, and elevate teammates makes him irreplaceable on a roster built around both skill and balance. Beyond the stats, Robertson brings stability and chemistry to the team’s core, complementing players like Roope Hintz perfectly. Trading him would not only weaken Dallas’s offensive depth but also disrupt the chemistry that has been key to their recent playoff success. Given his age, consistency, and potential for further growth, Robertson represents a player the Stars can continue to build around for years to come—making keeping him far more valuable than any short-term return from a trade. Trading Jason Robertson for Brady Tkachuk would not be beneficial for the Dallas Stars because Robertson offers more offensive consistency, efficiency, and overall value to the team’s system. Robertson is one of the league’s most reliable scorers, capable of producing 40-plus goals and 90-plus points while maintaining a calm, composed style that fits perfectly with Dallas’s structured, possession-based approach. Tkachuk, while a strong physical presence and emotional leader, plays a more aggressive, gritty game that doesn’t align as well with the Stars’ tactical identity. Additionally, Robertson’s chemistry with linemates like Hintz and Wyatt Johnston has been a key factor in the team’s top-line success, something that could be lost if he were traded. Brady Tkuchuk just simply wouldn’t fit well with the Stars and their overwhelming closeness. From a cap and performance standpoint, Robertson’s elite scoring touch and ability to perform in clutch moments make him more valuable than Tkachuk, whose production is less consistent despite his physicality. In short, trading Robertson for Tkachuk would sacrifice elite offensive talent and chemistry for toughness the team doesn’t urgently need—ultimately weakening the Stars’ chances at sustained success and a deep playoff run. Overall, the Dallas Stars should resign Jason Robertson for the 2026-27 season and even for seasons to come and he himself is one of the biggest stars on the team.
Winner: You decide! If you were the Stars, would you swap Robertson for Tkachuk?
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