The Dallas Stars spent the last 24 hours trying to restart the Jason Robertson trade market, and it isn't going well.
According to Pierre LeBrun, teams that had previously shown interest are now pulling back after seeing Robertson turn down a deal from Seattle.
That's the problem when a player rejects a trade to a team in the open market. Word gets around fast, and it changes the math for everyone else.
Robertson put up 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games this season for Dallas. Nine game-winning goals. A +22 rating. His numbers are impossible to argue with.
But he's carrying a $7,750,000 cap hit and clearly has opinions about where he's willing to play. That combination gives teams pause.
Seattle finished 34-37-11 and scored only 226 goals all season, twenty-seventh overall. It's fair to understand why a player with Robertson's production might not be eager to go there.
Stars cap situation now complicates any Robertson deal further
Dallas still has Mikko Rantanen at $12,000,000, Wyatt Johnston at $8,400,000, Roope Hintz at $8,450,000, and Miro Heiskanen at $8,450,000. The cap picture is not getting easier.
If Robertson stays, that's north of $45 million committed to five players. GM Jim Nill has to find a way to make it work or find a taker willing to absorb a 26-year-old who apparently controls his own destination.
And that's the real issue. A player who turns down one trade effectively becomes harder to move in any trade.
Teams now have to ask themselves: if we make this deal, will Robertson actually report and play hard, or are we getting a distracted player in a market he didn't choose?
LeBrun's reporting signals real concern around the league.
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The Stars went 2-4 in six playoff games. Robertson posted 5 goals and 8 points in those six games, but the team still lost. The offseason was supposed to bring clarity. Right now, it's just bringing more questions.
Should the Stars keep Jason Robertson if they can't find a trade partner willing to meet his destination demands?
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