Frisco, Texas — The Dallas Stars' first day of NHL free agency was defined by departures, as the team traded Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin to Nashville for draft picks while working behind the scenes on a new contract for Jason Robertson.
Bourque, a young forward, and Lyubushkin, a stay-at-home defenseman, went to the Predators for a second- and third-round selection. The Stars concurrently re-signed Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal at $1 million, providing a low-cost retention in the bottom-six forward group.
Robertson remains the central storyline. The restricted free agent is believed to be seeking $12 to $15 million per year on a long-term pact, a number that necessitated the cost-cutting trade. Captain Jamie Benn hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, though a Dallas return is considered likely.
