CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Rumors have been flying in recent days about Jason Robertson and the Pittsburgh Penguins.Several team sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect private information, told me that president/general manager Kyle Dubas has discussed a potential deal with the Dallas Stars. I reported last season that Dubas possessed a keen interest in Robertson, the 26-year-old forward whom Dubas views as one of hockey’s best pure goal scorers.Dubas has long wanted to acquire Robertson. He felt similarly about star defenseman Erik Karlsson and landed him in Pittsburgh a few summers ago after trying to do the same in Toronto.Robertson was not willing to play in Seattle, but the Penguins believe the winger would be willing to play in Pittsburgh.Team sources said Dallas is more interested in Pittsburgh’s young assets than its veterans. Dubas admitted last weekend that he tried tirelessly to move up in the draft. By several accounts, he also tried to make quite a splash by landing Robertson. It didn’t happen, but Dubas is not giving up. This could all be for nothing, of course, if Dallas can sign the restricted free agent to a long-term deal.As long as a trade is possible, though, Dubas is likely to keep trying to make it work. Though he is extremely reluctant to deal too many young assets — the organization had next to no prospects when Dubas took over in 2023, and he’s done strong work building the system — Dubas is willing to make a dent in his system to land a young player of Robertson’s caliber.Who are the top five NHL players to hit free agency?Here’s what else I’m hearing:Why trade Parker Wotherspoon?The Wotherspoon trade, on the surface, seems like a curious move.Wotherspoon was a key member of the Penguins last season and works cheaply. Karlsson played the best hockey of his Penguins career while skating with the 28-year-old defenseman.So, why did it happen? I asked a few people in the organization.For one, the trade wasn’t about next season. It was about the future. Dubas liked that, in 25-year-old Kaedan Korczak, he might have found a young, legitimate third-pairing, right-hand defenseman at $3.25 million annually.