Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars are heading toward a salary arbitration hearing sometime between July 20 and Aug. 1, unless they agree to a new contract beforehand.

The Pittsburgh Penguins could be watching the Robertson contract saga closely.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, they are "very much open" to acquiring the 26-year-old scoring left winger. It's believed Penguins GM Kyle Dubas considers Robertson a potential building block.

Yohe cited sources saying Robertson still hopes to sign a long-term contract with the Stars. He claimed the Penguins wanted to discuss a trade with Stars GM Jim Nill, but those talks never got serious.

However, that could change if Robertson winds up with a one-year contract through arbitration, taking him to UFA eligibility next summer.

If a long-term deal with the Stars isn't possible, Yohe thinks Robertson could be open to joining the Penguins. It doesn't hurt their chances when they recently acquired his brother, Nick, from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Speaking of the Penguins, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now noted that Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently suggested that center Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks might be a good fit with Pittsburgh.

Kingerski pointed out that Friedman was merely making a suggestion. Nevertheless, he disagreed with the Sportsnet insider, citing the decline in the 27-year-old Pettersson's performance and his expensive contract. He's signed through 2031-32 with an average annual value of $11.6 million.

If the Canucks hope to move Pettersson anywhere, assuming he waives his no-movement clause, they will likely need to retain part of his cap hit or take back an expensive contract in the deal. Even then, the drop in his play over the past two seasons hurts his value in the trade market.

Meanwhile, there's been no indication that the Winnipeg Jets are any closer to trading goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

There was talk of moving the three-time Vezina Trophy winner to the Buffalo Sabres before last month's NHL draft, but the deal reportedly fell through.

According to Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now, Friedman said a couple of teams told him they wondered whether the Avalanche might take a run at acquiring Hellebuyck.

Friedman didn't indicate whether there were trade talks between the two clubs regarding Hellebuyck. He wasn't sure that the Avalanche had the assets to make a tempting offer or that the Jets would be open to it.

Hellebuyck's contract would be a significant obstacle. He's signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $8.5 million and a full no-movement clause.

The cap-strapped Avs would have to move one or two players to free up room for his contract, and it's doubtful the Jets would retain any portion of it.

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