Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill addressed the ongoing contract negotiations with forward Jason Robertson, noting that there has been minimal progress so far this offseason.
Nill explained that both parties have been working on a contract extension throughout the offseason, but little advancement has been made at this stage. He mentioned that this is a common outcome during this part of the negotiation process.
“The negotiating market right now with the players in the league has come to a standstill, and it’s a standstill, too, with Jason,” Nill said, per The Dallas Morning News.
Nill further discussed the negotiation process and said he understands why Robertson would want to test the free agency market next offseason and see whether he can receive a large contract.
“With Jason, I don’t blame him. He’s not a UFA, he’s an RFA (next summer). He wants to see what the market is. We want to see what the market is. So things are really kind of on hold, but we communicated all summer. They know our stance. They know what they’re looking for, and I’m confident that we’re going to get something done,” said Nill, per Stars Thoughts.
As an unrestricted free agent, any NHL team can make an offer and sign Robertson during free agency; however, Robertson will be a restricted free agent, and Dallas will have the option to match any contract that he signs with another franchise.
Additionally, Robertson could choose to sign a one-year contract with the Stars next offseason in a move that would expedite his ability to hit the market as a restricted free agent.
Should that scenario play out, Dallas could look to trade Robertson to avoid losing him to another team without receiving any additional assets.
However, Nill clarified that any rumors that the Stars could trade Robertson in this offseason have been overblown, explaining that Dallas has not been considering a trade involving one of the most important pieces on the team.
“You hear a lot of these situations going on right now that are taking place. Those players are all UFAs. We have team control for two more years, RFA rights for Jason for two more years, so it’s a different time frame,” he added, per DMN.
These negotiations come as the 26-year-old has quickly ascended to become one of the most impactful players on the Stars’ roster. The NHL recently released a ranking of the top 50 players in the league, which had Robertson ranked 49th, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.