The Dallas Stars and forward Jason Robertson are still trying in contract talks, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported Monday evening.
According to LeBrun, efforts are being made to try and find a middle ground.
Robertson is scheduled to become a restricted free agent as of July 1. He is coming off a four-year, $31 million contract with a cap hit of $7.75 million.
Earlier in June, LeBrun reported the Stars and Kraken discussed a sign-and-trade that would have sent Robertson to Seattle, but the 26-year-old rejected an eight-year offer from the Kraken in the range of $15 million annually. LeBrun also reported that the Stars circled back to other teams who had previously shown interest in Robertson while also staying engaged with his camp on a possible extension.
LeBrun said on June 25 that Robertson and the Stars worked to get a new deal done earlier in June but couldn’t agree on numbers, adding that he was told Robertson’s contract ask was “eye-opening.”
“No, I wouldn’t say progress, but they’re still talking,” said LeBrun on last Thursday’s edition of Insider Trading. “And that’s what’s one thing that teams are wondering is when are they going to give up on trying to sign him and just trade him? Well, they haven’t given up yet. So talks still continuing on this day between the two sides.
“But I just don’t know if they can find that common ground. I don’t think the Stars are that comfortable paying Jason Robertson that much more money than Mikko Rantanen, who’s their top-paid player at $12 million. Yeah, the market shifted and he’s a special player and I get why the ask from his camp is higher than that."
Robertson led Dallas in scoring last season with 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games. He added five goals and eight points in six postseason games before the Stars were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Wild.
Drafted 39th overall by the Stars in 2017, Robertson has 213 goals and 490 points in 456 career games.
