Jason Robertson, one of the NHL’s absolute top goal scorers, just locked in a one-year, $12 million deal with the Dallas Stars to avoid arbitration. But let’s be real, Seattle: the *actual* headline for us here in the Emerald City is that Robertson flat-out rejected an approximate eight-year, $15 million AAV offer from *our* Seattle Kraken. Yeah, you heard that right! The Stars sealed him up for just one more season, but it’s tough to swallow that the Kraken made a serious play and Robertson said no way.
Our Kraken Made a Massive Move, and Robertson Bailed
Can you believe it? The Seattle Kraken stepped up to the plate, and Robertson still didn’t bite. According to TSN’s Elliotte Friedman, our team was allowed to speak with him, and we put a massive approximate eight-year, $15 million AAV contract on the table. And he said no! This guy, who tied for fourth in the NHL with a ridiculous 45 goals in 82 games during the 2025-26 season and led the Stars with five goals in six playoff games, decided to pass on a huge commitment to the Emerald City. Dallas general manager Jim Nill was loud and clear after his team’s first-round elimination by the Minnesota Wild: their “focus is to get [Robertson] signed.” Nill even told reporters in May that Robertson is “a big part of our team” and they “think he’ll be a Dallas Star for the rest of his career.” Well, that’s what they say, but the Kraken showed they’re ready to contend with the big boys for elite talent.
Dallas’s High-Stakes Gamble
So, instead of a long-term commitment anywhere, Robertson signed this one-year, $12 million deal with Dallas. It’s basically a stopgap, giving both sides more time to “hammer out a long-term extension,” as he’s eligible for one again on January 1, 2027. Friedman had reported the Stars were “believed to be at least $2 million apart per season” from Robertson before this deal, which is a wild difference. Remember all those “pretty legitimate talks” Friedman also reported Dallas had with the Pittsburgh Penguins about a potential trade for Robertson? The drama around this guy’s future has been insane! He’s heading into his eighth season with the Stars, and he’s been a scoring machine, racking up 196 tallies in 402 games since 2021, with only nine NHL players scoring more goals over the last five seasons. Nill even called him a “cornerstone” and “one of the league’s top offensive threats.” The Stars still have a core of players on long-term deals, like Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Matt Duchene, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Thomas Harley, and Jake Oettinger, and Robertson hopes to join them next year. This is a crucial core, especially after the Friedman report that Harley was on the trade block for Zach Werenski from Columbus in a failed offer. These Stars need to finally contend for a Stanley Cup after three straight Western Conference Final losses followed by last spring’s first-round exit.
What’s next? This one-year deal is a huge bet for Dallas. They need Robertson to keep delivering that insane 45-goal-plus production, and they absolutely have to lock him down long-term if they want to escape that playoff slump and “bring a championship to Dallas.” As for us Kraken fans, we know our front office is serious about making moves. Just gotta keep believing!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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