Even though the NHL’s unrestricted free-agent market is a barren wasteland for potential impact talent this summer, the restricted free-agent and trade markets are absolutely booming ahead of the start of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night.
One of the most prominent restricted free agents is Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson.
He is one of the NHL’s best players, in the prime of his career and the type of player that most teams would love to build around. But he is a restricted free agent and seeking a massive contract extension, and he might have a demand the Stars cannot meet under the salary cap.
Or perhaps simply do no want to meet.
That has made him one of the biggest potential trade chips on the market, and there was reportedly a deal in place to send him to the Seattle Kraken.
The only problem: Robertson did not want to sign there. And it seems no amount of money was going to change his mind on that.
Jason Robertson turns down $120 million contract offer from Seattle Kraken
According to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Thursday night, the Stars and Kraken had reportedly agreed to a trade that would have likely included the No. 7 overall pick in the draft on Friday night.
But the deal was ultimately nixed when Robertson turned down an eight-year contract extension that would have paid him $15 million per season.
The Stars, according to the report, gave Seattle permission to negotiate with Robertson.
The $15 million-per-year salary would have been the highest in the NHL next season, narrowly edging out the $14 million that Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is set to make.
On one hand, you have to give Seattle credit for taking a massive swing. The Kraken not only desperately need more offense, but they also need a star player and somebody who can make an impact as a cornerstone player.
Robertson would have absolutely filled those needs.
But the fact that Robertson did not want to sign there for that amount of money has to be a humbling moment for the Kraken organization.
They have not found the immediate success the Vegas Golden Knights did as an expansion team and have mostly been a mediocre franchise throughout their early existence. They are not bad, but they are not particularly good, either. They made the playoffs in year two, but have found themselves at the bottom of the league in their other four seasons. That includes the 2025-26 season where they finished 11 points out of a playoff spot in a watered-down Western Conference.
It feels like a team just aimlessly circling around and not really making any sort of progress. They are not even close to a championship at this point and, even worse, have no history or other star players to make them a destination team.
They found that out harshly this week.
Money talks for players.
But so does having a chance to win.
Seattle could offer the former, but not the latter.
Now the Kraken have to figure out a Plan B for getting themselves closer to that situation.
The Stars need to do the same with Robertson, either in terms of upping their offers or finding another trade partner that he will want to sign with.
