Early playoff exits by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars have raised questions about the futures of Nikita Kucherov and Jason Robertson.
For the fourth straight season, the Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated from the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Falling in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens, the Bolts face what could be a critical off-season as their Stanley Cup window keeps closing.
ESPN.com's Kristen Shilton noted the Lightning have most of their core talent still under contract, with pending UFA Darren Raddysh to be re-signed or replaced.
However, stars such as Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Andrei Vasilevskiy are now at least 30, prompting concern about how many good years they have left.
Shilton wondered whether the long-term fatigue of a decade of lengthy playoff runs was catching up with that aging core. She proposed they might need an injection of new life and wondered whether GM Julien BriseBois would pursue pending free agents, such as Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres and Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, Tuch turns 30 on May 10 and could seek over $10 million annually in his next contract. Coyle would be more affordable, but at 34, his effectiveness has a short shelf life.
Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wondered if the Lightning's ongoing difficulties to get out of the first round might prompt BriseBois to consider trading Kucherov.
LeBrun noted that Kucherov was held without a point in the final three games against the Canadiens and seemed frustrated throughout the series. He turns 33 in June and has a year left on his contract with a 10-team no-trade list.
BriseBois has proven that he's unafraid to make audacious deals, but it's unlikely he'll trade Kucherov. LeBrun believes the Lightning's priority is to sign the three-time Art Ross Trophy winner to a contract extension.
In Dallas, Lia Assimakopoulos believes the biggest off-season question facing the Stars is whether they can re-sign winger Jason Robertson to a contract extension.
Robertson, 26, is an RFA with arbitration rights who is a year away from UFA eligibility unless the Stars can sign him to a long-term deal. He earned an average annual value of $7.75 million on his current contract.
Assimakopoulos observed that Robertson had a standout performance, tying Wyatt Johnston for the team lead in goals, with 45, and leading the Stars with 96 points. She doesn't see the Stars signing him for less than $12 million annually.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau wondered whether Robertson could price himself out of Dallas. He noted the Stars have only $11.1 million in cap space for next season. Proteau believes GM Jim Nill must shed some salary to free up space to retain Robertson.
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic wondered if Nill might attempt to move a center such as Matt Duchene ($4 million AAV) or Roope Hintz ($8.45 million AAV) in a cost-cutting deal. It would address that cap crunch, but both carry full no-movement clauses and could be unwilling to waive them.
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