With NHL free agency set to open next Wednesday, the clock is ticking on one of the most closely watched restricted free agent situations in recent memory with Dallas Stars standout winger Jason Robertson, and for the first time the public has a clear picture of where the two sides actually stand. 

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported Tuesday that, according to one NHL source, the Stars have formally presented Robertson with an eight-year, $96 million offer carrying an annual cap hit of $12 million per season. The number had been floated before, but confirmation that it represents Dallas's formal offer adds new weight to just how far apart the two sides remain.

Robertson's camp, by all accounts, is targeting a figure in the neighborhood of $14 million per season, a gap of $2 million annually that, given the Stars' current cap situation, appears extremely difficult to bridge. The distance between the two sides has done nothing to quiet the trade rumors that have been building throughout the week. 

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TSN's Darren Dreger reported Monday on his Ray and Dregs podcast with Ray Ferraro that a Robertson trade is becoming the more likely outcome. "As of right now the sense I'm getting is it's more likely than not the Stars trade Jason Robertson," Dreger explained.

Insider Jeff Marek went even further, suggesting a specific trade could be taking shape. "Dallas is gonna make news here before Friday," Marek said. "I think they want the Robertson thing done, and I think they want Dylan Larkin." 

The Detroit Red Wings captain has been linked to Dallas in multiple reports this week, with the hockey logic of a Robertson-for-Larkin framework drawing significant attention from around the league. Robertson is coming off a very solid season, in which he recorded 45 goals and 51 assists for 96 points in 82 games. 

What is clear heading into the weekend is that the Stars have put a formal offer on the table and Robertson's camp has shown little indication they are willing to accept it. With free agency opening next Wednesday and the threat of an offer sheet looming for any team with the cap space and the appetite to make a run at Robertson, something will have to give.

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