Jason Robertson Considering Huge Gamble, Contract Snag Makes Situation ‘Tricky Now’

Jason Robertson might be leaning toward signing a very risky, one-year, arbitration contract. After being offered eight years at $12 million per season and $15.5 million over eight in Seattle (a failed sign-and-trade), he might take a deal that walks him into free agency.

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Theoretically, he could hit it out of the park next season and hit the open market on a contract year where the salary cap goes way up. That could lead to deals where any team can make a pitch, and he could get between $17 and $20 million per season. At the same time, he could have a down year, or worse yet, get injured.

Nick Kypreos and the crew from Kyper and Bourne talked about it on their show and called the situation nearly unbelievable. If Robertson wants to know the risks of what he’s considering, all he needs to do is look at a player in Dallas’ past, John Klingberg, to know that this kind of move doesn’t always pan out.

Klingberg was offered a huge extension in Dallas, but turned it down. He pressed his luck and got injured, then struggled and wound up being a player who could barely find a deal at all in free agency. At the time of the extension offer, Klingberg was known as one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL. Today, he’s an unsigned free agent still looking for a contract.

Why Would Robertson Do This?

Given that he’s got several long-term offers on the table, why would Robertson consider a one-year arb contract? Kypreos says it;s the one year where Robertson is kind of a free agent, but he isn’t really. The forward actively has no trade protection, but no one is trading for him without knowing he’ll sign an extension. At the same time, he’s not necessarily comfortable signing in Dallas without trade protection either.

Kypreos created a scenario where Dallas moves to $13 million — which, in a no-tax state like Dallas, is about $15 million elsewhere — they can still trade him. If they were to trade him to Seattle, for example, Robertson can’t really stop the deal and now he looks foolish because he turned down $15-plus in the sign-and-trade.

“What I can’t sign on that eight-year deal at $13 million is next season’s trade protection. .. Jim Nill could trade me the next day to Seattle… I’m leaving $30 million on the table, and I look like a donkey.” He adds, “You can now trade my rights to anywhere you want, and they can sign me to a seven-year deal to anywhere if they’re not happy with me by Christmas or January or February, and now it’s like, who do you trust?”

Your 12 months from controlling your destiny with cash or a no-move clause. For that reason, Robertson might want to do the one-year deal to give himself total control over his own situation.

Next: Jamie Benn Signs 1-Yr ‘Last Run’ Deal to Return to Dallas Stars