Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson reportedly turned down interest from the Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues. What he wants is a mystery to the public, but it's become one of the NHL's biggest storylines.
In what is quickly becoming a mystifying situation, pending RFA Jason Robertson has reportedly turned down two massive contract offers — and neither of them was from the team he currently plays for.
The Dallas Stars left winger was given permission to speak to the Seattle Kraken, who reportedly offered him an eight-year deal worth $15 million per season, which Robertson declined, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. He also reportedly turned down a sign-and-trade with the St. Louis Blues, according to Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek.
So what does this mean for the Stars?
Well, it's clear that teams are prepared to make the 26-year-old Robertson, who scored 45 goals and 96 points last season, one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. But it's also clear that money might not be the most important thing to him.
So where does he want to play? Is it Dallas? Or, like Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin, is he yet another player trying to orchestrate his way to a championship contender?
This is where it gets tricky for the Stars.
Last season, Robertson was the team's top offensive player — in the regular season and the playoffs, where he scored a team-leading five goals in six games. But after losing to the Minnesota Wild in the first round, the team is looking to make a change.
That means moving on from Robertson. Or does it?
While the Kraken and Blues are a long way away from being a Cup threat, the Stars finished with the second-best record in the West last season and could be a championship contender with Robertson back in the lineup.
Either way, as a RFA with arbitration rights, he controls his destiny. You cannot trade him if he won't sign with a new team, which puts Dallas in a difficult spot.
It also puts Robertson in an enviable spot.
He has all the leverage.
The only question is what he wants. Is it money? Is it a chance to win a championship? Is it joining his brother, Nick, in Toronto?
The Stars, which are reportedly $2 million apart on a potential deal for Robertson, are paying Mikko Rantanen $12 million as their highest-paid player. The thinking is that Robertson would have to come at a value lower than that.
If not, then other teams are willing to step up and acquire a player who is a three-time 40-goal scorer and who ranks ninth in goals (196) and points (444) in the past five seasons.
No wonder the Kraken were reportedly offering the seventh-overall pick in Friday's draft, while the Blues were reportedly putting together a package that would have included multiple first-round picks.
To be clear, Robertson would help just about any team.
The challenge is finding the right team for him — at the right value.
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