Fort Worth, Texas — Salary-cap pressure dictated the Dallas Stars' approach to the opening day of NHL free agency, as the club traded Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin to Nashville to create financial flexibility around a looming Jason Robertson deal.
In exchange for Bourque and Lyubushkin, Dallas received a second-round and a third-round pick. The Stars also brought back Joel Kiviranta on a one-year contract worth $1 million, one of the day's quieter moves.
Robertson, a restricted free agent, is reportedly seeking $12 to $15 million per season on a long-term extension — a figure that forced Nill's hand in shedding salary. Captain Jamie Benn entered the unrestricted market, though all signals point toward a return to the only NHL home he has known.
