Jason Robertson has made his choice, and today it landed publicly: he wants to stay with the Dallas Stars, even after the Seattle Kraken put three first-round picks on the table to get him.
Elliotte Friedman reported this morning on 32 Thoughts that Robertson's first preference is Dallas, and that part of the thinking behind turning down that Seattle offer was the signal it sends.
The message Robertson apparently wanted to send was clear enough. Saying no to three first-rounders tells the league something. And it tells the Stars something.
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He put up 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games this season. A $7.75 million cap hit that, frankly, looks like a discount for a player of his calibre right now.
In the playoffs, Robertson added 5 goals and 8 points in 6 games before Dallas was eliminated. His last 10 regular-season games were 9 goals, 13 points. That's not a player looking for a soft landing somewhere else.
The Kraken's offer, per Friedman, was three first-round picks and a young player. Friedman noted some dispute about who the young player was, saying he believes it was not Jake O'Brien.
Robertson's loyalty comes as Dallas rebuilds around him
That's a significant package. Seattle GM Jason Botterill was clearly trying to build around a legit top-line winger, and Robertson is exactly that. The Kraken finished 34-37-11 this season, 27th overall. They needed him badly.
Dallas, meanwhile, finished 50-20-12, third in the league, 112 points. They beat Seattle all three times they met this season, outscoring the Kraken 9-4 across those matchups. Robertson was at the center of everything that worked.
The Stars have built something real under GM Jim Nill and head coach Glen Gulutzan. Robertson is clearly bought in.
Three first-rounders is the kind of offer that makes a front office sweat. Jim Nill didn't have to say a word. Robertson said it for him.
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What happens next on the contract side still has to play out. The cap situation in Dallas is real, with Mikko Rantanen at $12 million and Wyatt Johnston at $8.4 million already locked in alongside Robertson.
Whether Dallas can keep this core intact long-term is a legitimate question. Robertson choosing loyalty doesn't make the math easier.
Should the Dallas Stars lock up Jason Robertson long-term, even if it means losing another piece of their core?
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