The 2026 NHL off-season started slow as always, but just a few days out from the 2026 NHL Draft, things became chaotic incredibly quickly, with a new move threatening to come at any point moving forward.
Simon Nemec, Bowen Byram, Brady Tkachuk, Jordan Kyrou, William Eklund and Alex Tuch were just some of the names traded, and with speculation swirling over Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck and others, the next few months could change the landscape of the entire league. One team that’s expected to be active is the Dallas Stars, who came into this off-season with one especially big piece of business to get done, but right now that hasn’t happened, and it could lead to a shock departure.
Jason Robertson’s Future Remains up in the Air
GettyJason Robertson of the Dallas Stars.
Jason Robertson is the top RFA on the board this off-season, and while many expected him to return to Dallas on a long-term deal, as of right now, it’s speculated that he and the team could be as far as $2 million annually apart in contract negotiations. If that doesn’t change, there are plenty of teams interested in Robertson, and with the Stars looking to recoup some assets, a bidding war helps them significantly on that front.
On Thursday, it was reported by Elliotte Friedman that the Stars were offered a package including hte No. 7 pick from the Seattle Kraken for Robertson, but the Stars top-line winger turned down an eight-year, $15 million AAV from the Kraken.
Given the type of money that was offered, it must have been hard for Robertson to turn that deal down, but the decision shows that he’s after more than just money, but he wants the opportunity to contend.
Jason Robertson Turns Down the St. Louis Blues
The drama isn’t quite over for the night however, as Jeff Marek added a report of his own, revealing that the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues offered a package that included two first-round picks for Robertson, but the talented winger turned down the opportunity to sign long-term with the Blues.
Given that Robertson is likely looking to contend for a Stanley Cup throughout the term of his next deal, it’s no shock that he turned down the Blues advances, but now, the contending teams willing to give up assets and sign him long-term are dwindling.
Beyond Seattle and St. Louis, the likes of San Jose, Ottawa, Detroit and Montreal have been linked to Robertson, and at this point, it’s highly unclear which ones he’d sign a long-term extension with, and which ones he wouldn’t. With the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft set for Friday, this sets up plenty of drama in the next 24 hours, as the Stars are likely looking for draft capital of their own to either make a subsequent move or two pick a top prospect, so while there’s no guarantee a move will be made by tomorrow night, things could get very chaotic on the Robertson front.
Jason Robertson Turns Down Long-Term Extenison With Dallas Stars Rival