If he didn't ask Robo for acceptable teams, I agree.

If he didn't make sure with CBJ's GM that Dallas was an acceptable trade destination, I agree.

If Nill didn't check those boxes ahead of time, I agree.

I'm starting to feel like there's some re-neging or "trust us" going on here. I'm not a Nill apologist, but he's been a pretty good (not great) GM for a while that I feel wouldn't have gotten blindsided like this in the past.

Maybe desperation changes things...

On top of all the vetoed trades, several teams are expected to make contract offers to RFA Mavrik Bourque.
This is going to be the most tumultuous 48 hours of the Jim Nill era.

He’s always found a way to come through but this entire scenario might be impossible to fix.

— Bruce LeVine (@BruceLeVinePuck) July 1, 2026

IMO the Werenski stuff has as much to do with the still absolutely ridiculous divisional playoff seeding than anything. Werenski doesn't want to come to Dallas to play in the best division in hockey and make his chances of winning harder. It's absolutely soft but I understand it.

Bettman you sir have MASSIVE problems on your hand.

Also regarding offer sheets, remember, the player also has to sign the offer sheet. It's a two way transaction, not just one. So I'm not as worried.

FWAppraiser said:

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And now we've pissed off Robo and Harley. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but Jim Nill is fumbling the ball right now.

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These guys are professionals. They know how all this works. Robo has to realize he can't have his cake and eat it too. You either play for a winner and make a few mil less or hit the bankroll and play for a team you know is not going to win anytime soon. The players seem to hear "the cap is going up!" and make it out to be a huge number. It is not in fact a huge number.

Harley can't be mad because he was being traded for the Norris winner who is making LESS than he is with the AAV. Not to mention he was not good last season. I would take it as a compliment!

AgBQ-00 said:

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how do qualifying offers work in the NHL...Is it like basketball that we can match highest offer sort of thing?

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The player has to sign it with the other team first then the Stars can choose to match or so good bye.

I don't follow NBA so don't know how theirs work but assume it is the same thing.

Getting the distinct sense that this coming season will be purgatory -- need some of these contracts to come off the books to get roster flexibility in order to take that next step. Maybe Jim Nill will work some magic but he sure seems handcuffed. At this point I wonder if Robo gets booed next time he steps on the AAC ice (whether for the Stars or someone else) <--- only half serious.

And everyone around the league told us that being in a no income tax state meant that you were playing GM on easy mode.

The no income tax state argument drives me CRAZY. Do people really want to know some of the property taxes that we pay here in Texas?

Mavrik Bourque is being traded to the Predators

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) July 1, 2026

Nashville finalizing a trade for Mavrik Bourque from Dallas. In exchange for draft picks.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2026

Corrected final trade:

Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin are headed to Smashville in exchange for draft picks 🔁 pic.twitter.com/EnXcWHQWaU

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) July 1, 2026

I'm going to vomit. Oh my gosh. They didn't even let anyone offer sheet him. Just straight up traded.

are we in the process of tearing down and rebuilding?

100% what is about to happen.

They just traded their best young-ish asset (who isn't locked) to a divisional rivalry for cap space. Bravo.

dvldog said:

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Corrected final trade:

Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin are headed to Smashville in exchange for draft picks 🔁 pic.twitter.com/EnXcWHQWaU

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) July 1, 2026

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They couldn't throw in some sticks and pucks?</sarc> That trade is horrid.

I knew we'd have to concede something to offload Lyubushkin's contract, but Bourque?! We already have a hard enough time finding guys to play on the top 2 lines. If this is merely to make way for Robo, I don't like it...at all.

The only thing that would make sense is if there was a real possibility Mav was going to get offer-sheeted, so Nill worked out a trade instead to offload Boosh for a 3rd rounder.

Looking at the Offer Sheet Compensation for this summer, based on potential AAV for a Bourque extension — a 2nd and a 3rd for Bourque falls in line for what Dallas would’ve recouped in an offer-sheet scenario.

Lyubishkin also loosens some salary cap handcuffs. #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/5MNfKAheCI

— Brien Rea (@BrienRea) July 1, 2026

Going to be a run it back and then trade like crazy. I see a big reset coming but it will be after this season

Yeah, was just about to follow up with this. An offer sheet would have netted that 2nd rounder, so you essentially traded Lyubushkin for a 3rd. Not terrible on its face, but the net result is going to be Robo but no Bourque. Our forward group is now weaker. Hopefully more to come.

Thanks a lot Robo.

Yikes. That's a rough ****ing trade. That return is dog*****..

Extremely pissed at Robo right now. Nill was handcuffed, but losing Borque is going to suck. It's going to suck even more to have 25% of the salary cap tied up in Mikko + Robo and not be able to field an actual well-rounded team. Even worst when one gets hurt.

Maybe Robo will agree to a PIT trade (although if so, would have been nice to hang on to Mav unless his ask/offer sheet was totally unreasonable):

Nick Robertson is a Pittsburgh Penguin 🐧 pic.twitter.com/bvitU7mfqA

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) July 1, 2026

Bourque and Stanky gone in 2 years is awful to stomach.

Jim better be cooking something unexpected…

The offer sheet threat was real for Mav. He was probably going to be offered 4.5 to 5 million by someone and the stars absolutely cannot match that. So Nill technically did the right thing but man we are worse off for it.

Also, 5+ million for a guy coming off of one single good year where he was a 0.5 PPG player, is kinda crazy. Not saying I don't want him on this team but man he's going to maybe 6x his salary.

Bingo sir. If the playoff format was royally ****ed then I think he'd be in his way to Dallas now.

Flyers are stupid for not taking 1 year of Boosh @ $3.25 having $30mil of cap space:

The Flyers had a highly competitive offer for Bourque. But they were not going to take Lyubushkin as part of the deal. Thus, Nashville won out.

— Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) July 1, 2026

Tksymm7 said:

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The offer sheet threat was real for Mav. He was probably going to be offered 4.5 to 5 million by someone and the stars absolutely cannot match that. So Nill technically did the right thing but man we are worse off for it.

Also, 5+ million for a guy coming off of one single good year where he was a 0.5 PPG player, is kinda crazy. Not saying I don't want him on this team but man he's going to maybe 6x his salary.

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My thoughts exactly; I guess credit to Jim for getting something back for Lybushkin, but this whole thing sucks.

Preparing myself to see the Stars cave-in and pay Robo top-5 player money when he's definitely not a top-5 player.

Stars still only have $12.5mil in cap space after this (w/o Robo and Hyry, and I'm guessing Benn has a spot if he wants it) and only having 10 forwards under contract. More moves will need to be made.

Unless Nill trades Robo for a huge haul, I'm off of the Jim Nill bandwagon. Simply signing Robo is not enough at this point.

This wasn't an unexpected problem. He failed to sign Robo earlier when we could have had him cheaper. Now he's swimming in it. He's also failed to add a competent defenseman for like the 5th year in a row.

I feel bad for Mavrik. Nashville will be a wasteland for several years

“Dallas is a team that would interest those guys.”

If Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews were to leave their current teams, @emilymkaplan believes the Dallas Stars are a team that could be on both players’ radars. pic.twitter.com/h2d3KuG4I2

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 1, 2026

I would trade anyone for McJesus. End of story.

I absolutely hate this move. Nil ****ed himself with that Harley contract and handing out NTCs like candy. And that Otter contract isn't aging well either. Remember when Stank and Mav were our future??

TV Casualty said:

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Robo was never going to sign for cheaper. I don't believe that if they had just offered Robo $12 million last summer that he would have signed.

Robo held out of camp on his last contract. Everything points to him being a guy who sticks with his number.

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Then he could have traded him earlier. Either way he gambled and was wrong