A shift in Jason Robertson's trade market appears after his Seattle rejection
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jason Robertson didn't just reject Seattle. He accidentally told every other NHL team something they now can't ignore.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed the Kraken offered Robertson an eight-year deal worth roughly $15 million per season.
He turned it down, and per Friedman, the rejection was about the organization rather than the money.
Pierre LeBrun reported on Insider Trading that Dallas spent the last 24 hours trying to re-engage teams that had previously shown interest.
The problem, as LeBrun noted, is that several of those teams have pulled back after seeing Robertson reject Seattle.
Re Jason Robertson/Stars: "They've spent the last 24 hours trying to re-engage with teams that had shown interest; the problem is a lot of those teams saw what he turned down in Seattle and I think it's given some of them some pause."
- Jason Robertson
- Jason Robertson
The surface reading is that teams are spooked by the idea of giving up significant assets for a player who just said no to $15 million a year.
That reading misses what actually caused the freeze.
The real problem isn't the rejection - it's what it revealed
Robertson's refusal confirmed something every potential trade partner now has to price in: this player has destination preferences strong enough to override a massive contract offer.
That information changes the dynamic of every subsequent negotiation.
A GM trading for Robertson can no longer assume the player will simply show up and commit.
Before investing a first-round pick and a roster piece, that GM now needs some level of assurance that Robertson actually wants to be there.
Getting that assurance before a framework is agreed upon is awkward. Not getting it is riskier.
Dallas gave every other team a reason to slow down
Jim Nill allowed Robertson to negotiate with Seattle without knowing the answer. Now the answer is public, and the chilling effect is real.
Robertson also reportedly turned down a move to the St. Louis Blues, which adds a second data point to a pattern forming around him.
The Stars now head into July 1 free agency with a 45-goal winger on the market and fewer bidders than they had a week ago.
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