Could the Stars be thinking of a four- or six-year deal for Jason Robertson?
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on their 32 Thoughts Podcast – Trippin’ Out In Trenton – on Dallas Stars and RFA Jason Robertson. Could a four- or six-year come into play? Anton Khudobin is one to keep an eye on.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Friedman: “I’ve been sticking with three times $7.5 , three times $7.5 , three times $7.5 prediction. And someone said to me, there’s one thing you’re forgetting about in all this. And I said, what’s that? And he says, Jason Robertson has five years to a UFA because of his birthday and not four.
So the Dallas Stars, and if they want, the agents have a little extra time, or different time to play in here. And he said he wouldn’t be surprised for that reason if the Stars and Robertson aren’t looking at four- or six-year deals.
Like everybody knows about the possibility of eight, but he said that four makes a lot more sense than three, and there’s also the possibility of six.
So what I think is going on here is, watch if anything happens with Anton Khudobin. Does Dallas keep him or do they move him? And if they move him, there’s a couple teams that think that, that they’re going for bigger term.”
Marek: “So if Khudobin goes, that’s an indication they’re close on Robertson?”
Friedman: “I don’t want to say close, but it’s an indication that they think they can do something for longer term.”
Term is part of the Robertson-Stars stumbling block
Saad Yousuf of The Athletic: There isn’t much to update regarding the Dallas Stars and RFA forward Jason Robertson. The Stars have around $8 million in projected cap space depending on who is on their opening day roster.
The longer the term, the higher the dollar amount. If Robertson wants term, the Stars don’t have the space. If the Stars were wanting to sign him to a long-term deal, why didn’t they put the money aside to do so?
Robertson’s camp would be looking for more than $8 million on a long-term deal. A bridge deal should be in the $7 to $8 million range.
Is Kirill Kaprizov‘s five-year, $9 million a comparable for Robertson’s camp?
An offer sheet is unlikely. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres have more cap space than the Stars can offers. The Sabres don’t own their third-round pick so they’d have to go over a $10.5 million AAV. The Ducks or Coyotes giving up two firsts, a second and a third would be a lot for rebuilding teams.
The start of the regular season on October 13th is the next ‘deadline.’ Don’t think the Stars will be looking to trade Robertson, and don’t expect there to be any riff between the sides when a deal is reached.