Jason Robertson's camp isn't blinking, and the Dallas Stars are about to find out what that costs them this summer.
Frank Seravalli dropped a quiet bomb on the Kevin Karius Show on June 18th: the two sides haven't closed much ground in negotiations, and Robertson's camp is locked in on what they believe he's worth.
That's not a minor update. That's a warning shot.
Robertson is 26 years old and just wrapped up a 45-goal, 96-point regular season. He did it in all 82 games. He was a force.
His current deal carries a $7.75 million cap hit. That number is going to look like a bargain before this is done, and both sides know it.
The Stars finished 50-20-12 with 112 points, third overall in the league. They scored 278 goals. Robertson had 15 of them on the power play, with 26 power play assists.
Robertson's playoff numbers put even more pressure on Dallas
He also delivered in the postseason. Five goals and three assists in six playoff games, including two PPGs and a game-winner. His camp isn't selling this short.
Think of it this way: negotiating against Robertson right now is like trying to lowball the best player in your building after he just carried the furniture up five flights of stairs.
The Stars have Wyatt Johnston at $8.4 million and Mikko Rantanen locked in at $12 million. Adding a Robertson deal near or above the $10 million range creates real cap math problems for GM Jim Nill.
And yet, what's the alternative? Let him walk? Trade him at 26 coming off a 96-point season?
Robertson went minus-2 in the playoffs, which his camp will bury under that 8-point performance without hesitation.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan built his top line around Robertson all season. The power play ran through him. You don't just replace that production.
Seravalli's reporting suggests this isn't moving fast, and that's the part that should worry Dallas fans.
Slow-moving contract talks in July become loud headlines in August. Robertson's camp is set on his value, and right now the Stars haven't matched it.
How this gets resolved, and at what number, is the most important front-office question in Dallas this summer.
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Should the Dallas Stars give Jason Robertson the massive contract extension he's demanding?
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