The Dallas Stars’ offseason has hit a frustrating wall. In the span of just two weeks, two major trades collapsed at the finish line due to no-movement clauses — first Jason Robertson, then Zach Werenski — leaving GM Jim Nill scrambling for solutions as NHL free agency officially begins.
The most recent example came late Tuesday night when Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski vetoed a trade to Dallas after the two sides had agreed on a deal that would have sent Thomas Harley to Columbus, per ESPN.
Werenski, who won the Norris Trophy last season and helped Team USA win Olympic gold in Italy, has a full no-movement clause and used it to reject the move.
Reports now show that he may want to stay in the Eastern Conference, with Tampa Bay reportedly among his preferred landing spots.
That deal was supposed to help solve a much bigger problem: making room to keep Jason Robertson. The 26-year-old winger, coming off a 45-goal, 96-point season, is a restricted free agent without a long-term deal in place. Late last month SportsNet reported that the Stars had reached an agreement to trade Robertson to the Seattle Kraken as part of a deal tied to an eight-year, $120 million extension that would have paid him $15 million annually – but Robertson exercised his own no-move clause.
Quick Breakdown: Explaining The No Excuse Clause
What is commonly referred to when these trades break down as a “no excuse clause” is actually not an official term. According to Puckpedia it’s shorthand for what the NHL calls a no-movement clause (NMC) – which means a team cannot trade, waive, or send a player to the minors without his written consent, no exceptions.
This kind of no-exceptions veto is unique to the NHL – other leagues have similar but a bit narrower protections for players, like MLB’s 10-and-5 veto rights or the NBA’s rare no-trade clauses for veteran players, while the NFL has none essentially since contracts are rarely fully guaranteed.
The Cap Squeeze
Even with the NHL’s salary cap jumping to a record $104 million for 2026-27, Dallas has little breathing room. Per PuckPedia, the Stars have roughly $9.26 million in projected cap space for the upcoming season, with 20 of 23 active roster spots already filled and an annual cap hit of about $94.7 million already on the books. That leaves just three open roster spots to divide up whatever’s left – before Robertson’s new deal even enters the picture.
A contract anywhere near Harley’s $10+ million cap hit would wipe out virtually all of that remaining space on its own, let alone leave enough to fill out the rest of the roster.
Robertson’s deal isn’t the only item on the to-do list; team captain Jamie Benn remains an unrestricted free agent, and restricted free agent forward Mavrik Bourque still needs a new contract as well.
This is part of why Harley was on the table in the Werenski talks in the first place – and why his name, or another veteran’s, could resurface before the week is over. Looking ahead, this offseason may be his toughest test yet: figure out who among Harley, Robertson and Bourque the team can actually afford to keep, and who has to go.
Positive Progress on Wednesday
The Stars found at least one answer Wednesday. Dallas traded Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Nashville Predators in exchange for two draft picks. The move gets ahead of a possible offer sheet for Bourque and clears Lyubushkin’s $3.25 million cap hit off the books.
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
We have acquired two draft picks from the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. pic.twitter.com/kTWMifJkmn
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 1, 2026
It’s a start. The bigger questions – Robertson’s extension, Harley’s future, and whether Werenski’s veto reopens the door for another trade partner, remain murky.
Plano Still Waiting in the Wings
All the salary cap chaos is playing out as the Stars also try to leave downtown Dallas behind for good.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Stars signed a non-binding letter of intent with the City of Plano in June for a new arena and entertainment district at The Shops at Willow Bend, and the Plano City Council approved that agreement days later. The deal, if it moves forward, would have Plano contribute around $700 million toward the estimated $1 billion project, with the Stars eyeing a move once their lease at the American Airlines Center expires in 2031.
For now, the Stars remain without their two biggest trade chips moved, without a Robertson extension signed, and with the clock running on both restricted free agency and a Plano arena deal that still has plenty of steps left before ground breaks.
DX will continue following developments as free agency continues and as the Plano arena project moves through its community input phase this summer.
