Matt Johnson
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson has been the subject of NHL trade rumors this offseason with the two sides unable to agree to terms on a new deal. While neither an extension nor trade is imminent, Robertson did reportedly prevent a huge deal from going down this week ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
According to Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman reported that Dallas granted the Seattle Kraken permission to negotiate a long-term deal with Robertson. Seattle offered him an eight-year deal worth $15 million per season, which would have made him one of the highest-paid NHL players ever. However, the offer was rejected.
For comparison, the $15 million average annual value would be the second-highest in the NHL next season behind Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million) and ahead of Leon Draisaitl ($14 million). The $120 million total contract value would also be the second-largest in the NHL, per Spotrac.
Throughout the offseason, there have been persistent NHL rumors suggesting Seattle is going big-game hunting via the trade market. Unfortunately for the organization, it’s a familiar position. The Kraken previously had a deal in place to acquire Artemi Panarin, offering him a four-year deal worth $56 million. However, he rejected the offer, and the trade fell through, with Panarin ultimately landing with the Los Angeles Kings.
Once again, the rejected contract offer from Robertson’s camp prevented a blockbuster trade. Friedman reported on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that within the last 48 hours, the Stars and Kraken had a deal in place that would have sent the 7th overall pick to Dallas. At that point, the Stars gave Seattle permission to negotiate a new deal with Robertson, at which point he declined the club’s offer, nixing the deal.
Importantly, per Friedman, Robertson’s rejection of the offer stems from the organization he would be joining rather than not liking the financial offer. That’s notable given that it’s uncertain if another team is willing to offer Robertson $15 million per season. As for negotiations between the Stars and Robertson, Dallas is offering in the $12 to $12.5 million range, but negotiations between the two sides have led to some hard feelings.
Dallas has since pivoted to negotiating with other clubs, and the assumption is that once a framework is agreed to, any club would be granted permission to negotiate a long-term deal with Robertson’s camp. Robertson’s availability will be one of the biggest storylines during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night.
