No Marner B.S. Here: Stars Set Firm Stance in Robertson Talks

The Dallas Stars have a significant decision to make with star forward Jason Robertson, who is entering the final year of his current contract carrying a $7.75 million cap hit. And, it sounds like, in part, they’ve made it.

According to NHL insiders Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, the Stars want to get a long-term extension done for Robertson, but under two conditions. The first is that it gets done this summer. The second is that it’s done at or below the number they’ve set internally as their cap ceiling.

If neither condition is met, it appears that a trade is still on the table.

What Are the Stars Looking to Spend on Robertson?

The team reportedly hopes to keep the cap hit around the $10 million range, but if Robertson pushes for significantly more—potentially closer to Mikko Rantanen’s $12 million AAV—the Stars could seriously consider trading him.

While the 24-year-old still has one year of team control remaining before unrestricted free agency, the Stars aren’t looking to drag this whole thing out. They watched what happened in Toronto and are determined not to repeat the mistakes that the Maple Leafs made with Mitch Marner. They let him steer the ship and were lucky to get what they got in return — only thanks to the threat of a tampering charge.

And the Stars have reason to be worried.

Robertson’s last contract negotiation in 2022 was a tense process that dragged into October and caused him to miss all of training camp. Though the resulting four-year deal turned out to be a bargain, Dallas appears unwilling to let history repeat itself.

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Between seeing how the Maple Leafs barely managed to escape the Marner situation– and one could argue it still didn’t turn out well for them– along with Robertson’s past negotiations, Dallas understandably wants to hold the leverage. Dallas GM Jim Nill would rather trade the player for a solid return than risk seeing his trade options narrow.

Dallas understands that a rising salary cap and Robertson’s production mean a pay increase. They also understand the benefit of playing with a contender, getting a salary tax-free and holding the upper hand in negotiations. The question is whether both sides can find common ground in time. If they can’t expect to hear his name in a lot more trade talk.

Next: Maple Leafs Reportedly Interested in Penguins’ Erik Karlsson Trade