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The Chicago Blackhawks could be looking to convert their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft into a high-end goalscorer.

One of the most interesting rumors going around at the moment involves the Chicago Blackhawks and their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

In particular, the chatter entails the Blackhawks trading this first-rounder to a party willing to pay up. Just about everyone in the NHL would be interested in landing the fourth-overall pick. After all, this year’s draft could yield a crop of generational players in the first 10 selections, or so.

But, there could be one team out there that could pull off this deal, not so much out of desire, but out of necessity. That team could be the Dallas Stars.

The Stars have a potentially complex issue at hand. Their top goal scorer, Jason Robertson, is an RFA and could be looking to cash in. The prevailing chatter suggests that Robertson could be looking for about $12 million AAV.

While he’s worth it, the Stars may be unable to pay up. Meanwhile, that’s a cap hit the Blackhawks could take on without necessarily breaking the bank.

So, here’s what this mock trade idea could look like:

Blackhawks get:

Jason Robertson, F

2026 second-round pick

Stars get:

2026 4^th overall pick

2027 second-round pick

The deal allows the Blackhawks to add a premier goalscorer, while the Stars could find a potential replacement for Robertson via the draft. The dollars and cents would work out for Dallas, even if they would be hard-pressed to make up for those 45 goals next season.

Blackhawks Could Afford to Sign Robertson to Long-Term Contract

The elephant in the room would be the Blackhawks’ ability to sign Robertson to a new contract. According to most pundits like Elliotte Friedman, Robertson is looking for a deal similar to the one the Stars gave Mikko Rantanen last season.

That contract was an eight-year, $96 million deal. That works out to $12 million AAV, something the Stars would struggle to fit under the cap.

Now, it’s not that the Stars don’t necessarily have cap room. PuckPedia projects about $11 million in cap space for Dallas next season. But the issue is that money would have to cover the increase in Robertson’s cap hit, while rounding out the roster.

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have about $40 million in cap space for next season. That gives Chicago enough room to figure out a contract for Robertson.

What to read next:

Robertson to Chicago Likely Depends on Bedard

While the Blackhawks have plenty of cap space, much of what they do moving forward depends on Connor Bedard. In particular, Bedard’s new contract.

Chicago’s first overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft is an RFA this summer. With his entry-level contract over, the Blackhawks now have to figure out what his first real pro contract could look like.

Estimates for Bedard’s next contract range from about $10 million AAV to about $12 or $14 million. That’s just Bedard. Other future RFAs will also demand new contracts in the coming seasons.

That’s why splurging on Robertson now could become a hindrance down the line for Chicago to sign other up-and-coming players.

Perhaps the Blackhawks could ink Robertson to a relatively short-term deal and revisit the situation in about three or four years. Regardless, if there’s any team that could fit Robertson into their books, it’s Chicago.