Stars and Oilers Face the Same Offseason Problem: Great Rosters, Empty Cupboards

As The Athletic reported, both the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are entering a pivotal offseason carrying heavy cap commitments, depleted prospect pools, and shrinking draft capital — two franchises that have spent years contending and have little hardware to show for it. Stars GM Jim Nill is weighing whether to trade 26-year-old Jason Robertson, a three-time 40-goal scorer and pending RFA, to replenish the pipeline. Meanwhile, the Oilers are staring down Connor McDavid's $12.5M cap hit with two more years on the clock and a supporting cast full of question marks.

Dallas's situation is defined by a choice between continuity and recalibration. Coach Glen Gulutzan expects largely the same group back, and that's defensible — this is a legitimate contender on paper. But Nill also has Matt Duchene and the chronically injured Roope Hintz as potential trade chips. Moving either would reshape Dallas's forward depth chart heading into 2026-27, with direct consequences for line combinations, power-play deployment, and shot volume distribution across the top six.

Edmonton's calculus is messier. The Oilers traded away firsts and seconds for Trent Frederic (now signed for eight years) and Jake Walman (seven years), watched Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg walk, and now face a goaltending situation in flux. Tristan Jarry — two years remaining at $5.375M — may be shopped after Connor Ingram seized the starting role late in the season. Ingram himself is a pending UFA in a crowded market that includes Stuart Skinner, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Frederik Andersen. If Edmonton pivots to Jordan Binnington or Adin Hill, that's a net-new goaltender facing a full season of Western Conference shot loads.

For prop bettors, the Jarry situation is the most actionable storyline here. If he's moved — either to a weaker defensive team or a rebuilding situation — his saves props and goals-against lines shift considerably. Jarry behind the Stars or a similar shot-suppressing system would look very different than Jarry backing up elsewhere. Conversely, whoever steps into Edmonton's crease full-time in 2026-27 inherits one of the league's most dynamic offensive structures in front of them — but also one of the shakiest defensive shells, meaning save totals for that netminder could trend toward the over in early-season markets. On the skater side, any Robertson trade immediately raises his new team's goals and points prop ceilings while deflating Dallas's team total outlook.

The Darnell Nurse angle compounds the Oilers' uncertainty further. At $9.25M for four more years with a no-movement clause, he's nearly immovable — but if Edmonton finds a taker, the defensive minutes reshuffling alone would alter blocked shots and shots-against rates for the entire back end. Neither franchise is blowing it up, but both are tinkering with enough high-leverage pieces that bettors should treat any 2026-27 early-release player props for Robertson, Hintz, Duchene, and Edmonton's eventual starting goalie as live variables until rosters clarify in July.