Ultimately, Jason Robertson blinked before Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars. The talented winger singed yesterday with the Stars for only one season. The deal is worth 12 million dollars against the salary cap. The Jason Robertson contract answers one question this summer and opens about five more.
This leaves a few doors open. First, the Stars will have money coming off the books (and another increase in the salary cap) after this season which allows them to re-enter negotiations as soon as January 1st. The second door allows for an in-season trade if they continue to have troubles getting a long term extension done. Lastly, and the worst for the stars, he can now wait it out and go right towards free agency. Per Jason Robertson himself, if we are reading between the lines, it doesn’t seem like he is dead set on staying in the big D.
I can understand how someone could look at the above quote and say that he ultimately wants to be in Dallas. However, if that was the case, why be so strung up on a number (14 million or more)? Why ultimately relent and sign for what Dallas was offering the entire time? Finally, why sign for the dollar amount but only accept it on a one-year deal that takes him directly towards free agency? I just feel the contract opens up more questions than it answered. I believe part of the player wants to be in Dallas, if he didn’t, he could easily be in Seattle right now. However, I think he only wants to be in Dallas for a dollar amount that he thinks he is worth.
With all of these questions opened, the saga is nowhere close to being over. Every single season a 100-point team in the NHL completely falls off the map, it happens every year without fail. Looking at the available options this season, Dallas seems like the most likely. I don’t think anyone anticipates the other two behemoths in the division, Colorado or Minnesota, to fall off the map. Sure, in the East it’s easy to conceive the Bruins to end up in the lottery. Looking just at the west, it seems like Dallas is the ripest to fall off. Dallas’ offseason has been a complete disaster. I have touched on it many times throughout the Robertson ordeal. They were completely tied up waiting for him to sign which left them unable to go sign, or trade, for any assets to make them better. Not only were they unable to add, but they also had to subtract from the roster by trading Maverick Borque. Crazy to think that both Borque and Stankoven are off of this roster. The young core is beginning to dwindle in Dallas. Their depth has been significantly worsened and after the Robertson signing, they are completely cap strapped. None of this is necessarily a recipe for success. Also worth noting, that Stars players are allegedly fed up with Robertson for dragging out the signing process.
The Jason Robertson Contract Just Started A Deadline Clock
So, let’s say Dallas is the team that falls off… they now have a star talent on an expiring deal. A star player who they have already scoured the marker on throughout the summer. Dallas could turn a down season into a great retool if they were to depart with Robertson at the deadline. Hell, they might trade him if they are good and cannot reach a deal, similar to what happened with current Dallas Star Mikko Rantanen. I cannot see anyway that Dallas allows the player to just walk for free, that would be a complete mismanagement of an asset.
This is why I have said there was no reason for Dubas to aggressively go after the player. I’m sure Dallas wanted Kindel but there was no real incentive to trade him for Robertson. Sure, it’s a gamble but it’s a gamble worth taking. The Penguins, or really any NHL team, has the ability to get Robertson for free. They also have a chance to get him at a slight discount from this summer’s prices because he is now a pending UFA. If Dallas is good this year, they might be more inclined to take Pittsburgh’s offer because the Penguins could offer a couple of veterans to help them continue a playoff run in Rust and Karlsson. Other teams may be able to outbid Pittsburgh, but that’s part of the gamble. I don’t think the Penguins were ever a Jason Robertson away from being a cup contender, so it wasn’t worth completely selling the farm.
No matter how this saga actually unfolds, I find it highly unlikely that Jason Robertson will be a star until he retires. Too much blood was spilled during these negotiations. Their first contract extension with one another was no walk in the park either. While Dallas is about to have more cap room after this season, Robertson’s ask isn’t likely to decrease if he continues to put up 40+ goals and 90+ points. So, we take a pause on Robertson for now, but this story is not closed.
