Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed that winger Jason Robertson turned down a trade to play for the Seattle Kraken.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last week that the Stars and Kraken had agreed to a trade sending Robertson to Seattle for the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, plus other assets, with Robertson signing an eight-year, $120 million deal as part of the transaction.
However, Robertson reportedly nixed that trade, as he was unwilling to sign long-term with the Kraken.
Now we have confirmation from Nill that’s exactly what happened.
Jim Nill Confirms Nixed Jason Robertson Deal
Speaking to reporters following the NHL draft, Nill confirmed that he had a deal with Seattle lined up for Robertson, but the player turned it down. With that in mind, Nill said he is still in communication with Robertson’s agent about signing an extension to play with the only NHL team that he’s ever known.
“It’s no secret, everybody heard about the potential trade. In the end, we’ve got to do our job. If we think there’s a good opportunity for our team, we have to do it. Also, a good opportunity for him. In the end, it didn’t materialize, and now, we continue to talk. I talked to his representatives right after that, and we continue to move forward,” Nill said.
“Our preference is to re-sign Jason Robertson. Can we make it work? That’s what we have to figure out. But that’s our preference. It’s been our preference since Day 1. He’s a great player, he’s a good person, we drafted him, developed him. Our preference is to sign him, of course. But can we do that within the parameters of what we have to work with and what he wants? I fully understand their position. He’s a good player, and everything, with the way the game’s going (financially), he’s earned this right to sign for what he wants to sign for. We’ve got to run a business and put a team together, so we have to do our part. Can we find that common ground? That’s what we have to work on.”
Jason Robertson is an Elite Winger
The 26-year-old Robertson just finished having another phenomenal year for Dallas, as he scored 45 goals and had 96 points in 82 games. He was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team as the top left winger in the sport this past season.
In his NHL career, Robertson has played in 456 games, scoring 213 goals and 490 points. He was originally drafted by Dallas in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round.
He is one of the best players in the league, so of course, Nill and the Stars want to have him back. But as Nill said, the team has to run a business, and if they can’t fit in Robertson’s high asking price into their salary cap, then they have to explore other options to make the team better, which is why they agreed to the trade with Seattle for the seventh overall pick before Robertson nixed it.
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