Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson was given permission to speak to the Seattle Kraken about a massive new contract, but he turned it down.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Dallas gave the Kraken permission to speak to Robertson — an impending RFA without a contract for next season and beyond — about a new deal.
Friedman said that the Kraken offered Robertson eight years and $120 million total, which is $15 million per season, but he turned it down.
As well, Friedman reported that the compensation for a trade would have sent Seattle’s first-round pick in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft to Dallas. That pick is No. 7 overall.
“According to multiple sources, the Seattle Kraken were given permission by Dallas to talk to Jason Robertson, and offered him approximately $15 million per year on a eight-year deal — but the offer was declined. Neither the Stars nor the Kraken agreed to comment, nor did Robertson’s representative, Andy Scott. It’s believed the two teams had worked out some kind of trade before the permission was granted, apparently including Seattle’s first-round pick — seventh overall in Friday’s draft,” Friedman wrote.
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars Far Apart
According to Friedman, the Stars and Robertson wanted a reunion, but the team and player were at least $2 million apart in contract value.
After turning down $15 million from the Kraken, you would have to imagine Robertson is looking for a contract approaching the eight-year, $136 million deal that Kirill Kaprizov signed with the Minnesota Wild, an average of $17 million per season.
Robertson has been rumored to be an offer-sheet candidate, with a report from NHL insider Pierre LeBrun on Thursday suggesting the Stars were “concerned” about that happening.
With the threat of an offer sheet imminent, the Stars were willing to deal Robertson to the Kraken for the No. 7 overall pick. But Robertson could not agree on a contract, so the deal is off, at least for now.
The Kraken and Robertson might try to re-engage in contract talks ahead of Friday’s NHL Entry Draft. This is obviously massive news, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it, as it’s not every day a player turns down this kind of money.
Seattle Kraken Looking for a Franchise Player
Ever since entering the NHL as an expansion team in 2021, the Kraken have lacked a true franchise player. The team obviously views Robertson as one, and it’s fair that they think that way, given that he is the best left winger in the NHL.
Just 26 years of age, Robertson has many more big years ahead of him in the NHL, so it makes sense that the Kraken offered him eight years. The fact that the team was willing to trade the No. 7 overall pick in the draft shows just how serious they are about acquiring him, too.
As for Dallas, the trade shows that the team is feeling the constraints of the NHL salary cap, as they cannot give Robertson the kind of money he is looking for, and it really feels like he has played his last game in a Stars’ uniform, given this news.
Jason Robertson Turns Down Huge Contract Offer From Kraken