The Chicago Blackhawks have been searching for the right top-line winger for Connor Bedard ever since he was the number one overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. 

There have been some successes, but there is another level of player that can be put with him. Instead of reaching for potential 30-goal scorers, Bedard is best suited for a winger who is capable of 40 goals and 80 points without it being a career year. 

It can be incredibly hard to find players like that; the Blackhawks would have one already if it were easy. However, one is available right now that teams are working to land. 

Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars is going to be paid anywhere in the $12-15 million per year range, whether it's with his current team or not. 

On Thursday night, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed that after permission to speak with the Seattle Kraken, Robertson turned down an 8-year deal worth $15 million annually. 

There have been multiple reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have been in on this player, which makes sense from a hockey standpoint. Robertson and Bedard could each become 50-goal/100-point players alongside each other. 

This wouldn’t be an example of two snipe-only players getting together. That doesn’t always work. Bedard and Robertson are both forwards who can score goals, but are also capable of driving play. They would always look to find each other, while also knowing when it’s right to just shoot the puck themselves. 

There are many examples of elite players getting together on the same line and it not working, but this is different. They are both good enough at every aspect of offense to feed off each other well.

Robertson would have to see the vision that Chicago has as an up-and-coming team, and he'd have to be okay with the taxes that come with singing in Illinois as opposed to some of the no-tax states that have benefited NHL teams in recent years. 

The other issue is that it would cost not only a lot to extend him, but the Dallas Stars are going to get a massive haul in return. It will likely start with the 2 1st-round picks and a good player plus more. 

That is a lot for a team trying to come out of a rebuild to give up, but it is the cost of doing business in the NHL right now. Great players are fetching incredible returns on the market.

It may be time for the Blackhawks to show their players and season ticket holders that they are committed to winning. Trading for Robertson, regardless of what it costs, would do that. 

At 26-years-old, Robertson is one of the best wingers in the NHL and will be for a long time. In 2025-26, he had 45 goals and 51 assists for 96 points in 82 games played on an elite Stars team. It also marked the 4th consecutive year in which he didn't miss a single game.

That level of player isn't available every day, and that is the reason that the Blackhawks are not the only team involved. He fits a lot of teams, but there is no denying the greatness that could come of him playing on Connor Bedard's wing. 

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