The Dallas Stars have less than two weeks left to decide whether Jason Robertson will be traded this offseason.
Robertson is set to have an arbitration hearing with the Stars on July 25, according to PuckPedia.
That’s two days before Robertson’s brother, Nick Robertson, is scheduled to have his own hearing with the Penguins.
The date of Jason’s hearing is significant because Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has reportedly been targeting the Stars winger this offseason.
TSN’s Elliotte Friedman and
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe have both connected Dubas to an interest in Robertson, who filed for arbitration July 5.
Even SportsNet Pittsburgh, which is owned in part by the Penguins, published a story Monday about a possible Robertson trade.
Dubas now has 11 days to work out a deal and get the chance to sign Robertson to a multi-year deal before he is locked into a one-year contract at whatever salary is decided for him through arbitration.
Robertson would then be scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027, so whatever package Dubas is considering sending to the Stars might no longer be worth the cost.
Factors taken into consideration during the arbitration process include games played, statistical comparisons to other RFAs and leadership position on the team, per The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman.
Teams can’t use salary cap restraints in their reasoning, per Goldman. PuckPedia projects the Stars are heading into next season with about $10.6 million in cap space, which is almost certainly less than Robertson is hoping to get from the mediator.
Robertson has never worn a letter for the Stars and he’s a wing rather than a center, which could come in the team’s favor. He has also played all 82 games of the last four seasons and tied for fourth among NHL scorers with 45 goals last season, which will definitely help from the players’ perspective.
Leo Carlsson, who just signed an $18 million AAV contract with the Ducks with the impetus of a Philadelphia Flyers offer sheet, is making 17.3 percent of the salary cap next season. Among wingers, the most lucrative contract signed by a winger this offseason has been Ivan Demidov’s $9.15 AAV deal (8.1 percent of the salary cap) with the Montreal Canadiens.
Whether the Stars feel Robertson is going to win a contract anywhere close to the Carlsson range, as well as whether the team feels there’s any possibility of reaching compromise on a long-term contract before July 25, could influence whether the franchise ends up considering a trade within the next two weeks.
Because there would likely be roster players heading to the Stars should Dubas complete a deal, what negotiations take place in Dallas over the next 11 days could potentially play a significant role in what the Penguins look like next season.
