What a saga it has been for the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson this summer.

For the talented goal-scoring winger looking for a massive new contract, negotiations with the Stars have not been successful so far in the off-season. He is reportedly looking for a figure as high as $15 million per season, which would make him the highest paid player on the Stars by a wide margin. For the Stars, dealing with that cap hit this season has proven to be next to impossible so far. Already, two pieces from last year's team have been traded for cap space, but more is necessary to accommodate such a contract.

Now, Robertson has begun the next phase of his negotiating power, filing for arbitration. That means he will forgo his right to sign any offer sheets - which have already proven to be explosive this summer - and at the very least have an independent arbitrator award a one-year deal based on arguments from both sides.

This also means that if the Stars cannot agree to a contract with Robertson, that one year deal will lead to unrestricted free agency next summer, a potentially disastrous result for Dallas. If he isn't traded, which the team has already tried and failed due to the player refusing to sign with Seattle and St. Louis, he will walk away and the Stars will recoup zero compensation for their loss. Teams knowing he will soon be an unrestricted free agent could also lessen the return for an elite player.

The Stars are still strapped for cap room, with around $10 million to throw around currently. There's a possibility of more moves to help increase that number, but general manager Jim Nill has his hands full trying to make everything work for the upcoming season without gutting the depth of the roster to do so.

Overall, the Robertson situation has been nothing short of a disaster so far for the Stars.

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