Jason Robertson turns down massive contract offer from the Seattle Kraken

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Jason Robertson turns down massive contract offer from the Seattle Kraken


The Seattle Kraken have been hunting for a franchise-caliber forward for months, dating back to their unsuccessful pursuit of Artemi Panarin at the trade deadline. They appeared to be on the verge of landing one of the NHL's most productive wingers, but the latest attempt has also fallen flat.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, citing multiple league sources, the Dallas Stars granted the Kraken permission to speak with pending restricted free agent Jason Robertson about a contract. Seattle reportedly pitched an eight-year deal worth roughly $15 million per season. Robertson turned it down.

Neither the Stars nor the Kraken agreed to comment on the situation. Robertson's agent, Andy Scott, also declined to speak publicly.

The groundwork for a potential trade had reportedly already been laid between the two organizations before the contract discussions took place. It is believed that Seattle's seventh overall pick in Friday's draft was part of the package headed to Dallas had Robertson agreed to the deal.

The 26-year-old winger is coming off yet another dominant season, finishing with 45 goals and 51 assists across 82 games. It marked his fourth consecutive campaign with at least 80 points. Robertson also posted a remarkable 46-goal, 109-point season back in 2022-23, cementing himself as one of the league's most consistent first-line threats.

Dallas GM Jim Nill has publicly stated that re-signing Robertson remains a top priority. The problem is the math. The Stars currently have just over $9 million in available cap space, which does not even cover Robertson's $9.3 million qualifying offer. The club's highest-paid forward is Mikko Rantanen at $12 million per year, and the hope within the organization was reportedly that Robertson would settle somewhere in that range. The two sides are believed to be at least $2 million apart per season in negotiations.

With limited trade candidates on the roster to free up space, Nill faces a particularly difficult puzzle.

According to Pierre LeBrun, the Stars are now circling back to other teams that had previously expressed interest in Robertson. At the same time, Dallas is reportedly keeping the door open on a direct extension, trying to explore every possible avenue.

For now, Robertson's future remains one of the most compelling storylines heading into the draft and the opening of free agency on July 1.

Continue reading...