- Jason Robertson turned down a trade to the Seattle Kraken that came with an eight-year, $15 million per season offer
- Stars GM Jim Nill says Robertson earned the right to make the call, and the two sides are still talking
- Read below for what Dallas does next with its star winger heading toward free agency
Jason Robertson had a one-way ticket out of Dallas. He tore it up.
Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed after the draft that Robertson rejected a trade to the Seattle Kraken, a deal that would have shipped the winger west and signed him to an eight-year contract worth $15 million per season.
That number would have made Robertson one of the highest-paid wingers in the league. He passed on it to stay a pending restricted free agent with the only organization he’s ever played for. It’s the latest twist in an offseason that’s already been full of trade drama.
Nill was asked about Robertson walking away from that kind of money.
“That’s his right. He’s earned his right. We have our right to do what we have to do, too. That’s part of the business that we’re in.”
Here’s Nill laying out where the Robertson talks stand:
He didn’t sound like a GM ready to give up on his guy. Nill said the Stars will keep working the phones and still hope Robertson is part of the future. He explained how the Seattle deal fell through:
“In the end, we’ve got to do our job. If there’s an opportunity that we think is a good opportunity for our team, we have to do it. [The Seattle deal] was also a good opportunity for him. In the end, it didn’t materialize. Now, we continue to talk.”
Pierre LeBrun reported the Stars are circling back to other teams that asked about Robertson while keeping the door open on an extension:
Dallas grabbed Robertson in the second round, 39th overall, back in 2017. He turned into one of the best goal scorers in hockey, hitting 40 or more goals three different times. In 456 games he’s piled up 213 goals and 277 assists.
Free agency opens July 1. Dallas has a few days to sort out whether Robertson signs an extension, lands a trade somewhere he actually wants to play, or skates into next season with this still hanging over the room.
