Leading up to the Jason Robertson salary arbitration will be interesting to follow
The Chris Johnston Show: Johnston and Julian McKenzie talk about players who file for salary arbitration, mainly Jason Robertson, and how that situation could role out.
** NHLRumors.com transcriptions
McKenzie: “To your point about the free agent market going quiet, I think there were, there was more fireworks around the players who filed for arbitration in the last couple of days, which includes Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. A few other notable names, too: Kirby Dach, of Montreal Canadiens is there too. Jet Greaves from Columbus is there. Cole Perfetti in Winnipeg. There’s a long list from the NHLPA web, Trevor Zegras from Philadelphia. Got to mention him too. A long list of players. Any quick thoughts on, on those names surfacing for arbitration?
Johnston: “Yeah, it sets the clock right for those players. Those guys are actually not eligible because they filed for arbitration for offer sheets. So you know the Robertson situation, I think, is the most prominent among the players you mentioned.
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You know he’s in an interesting spot. He’s one year from being a UFA, but still has a restricted free agent season to sign. If he and the Stars end up going through with that arbitration case, you know he’ll effectively be walked to free agency. But he also is going to have a season here where he doesn’t have any trade protection. Where the stars will be able to continue listing on trading him. You know, there’s still a world where they sign a long-term extension between now and and the date of that hearing, whenever it’s set, because that’s that’s kind of a what what happens in the system.
So ultimately, Dallas is going to have sort of a one final decision to make prior to that arbitration hearing, in my view. In the sense of you know, do they get into a contract range that he will sign, and do they just bite the bullet and do it? Or if they go through the arbitration case, you know, effectively, they’re either playing him out to free agency next July, or they’re probably going to look to trade him at some point during the year. So, kind of a tough, tough set of circumstances.
But look, it’s it, you know, in a number of those cases, I think players and teams don’t like going through those arbitration cases. You know, you have to basically poke holes in in each side. You know, point out a player’s deficiencies in an effort to get the arbitrator to side with, with where you think the contract should be, you know. So usually these, this is just the kind of, you know, it sets the wheels in motion on getting those next contracts done.
But in the case of Robertson, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. I truly believe maybe it’s just best for him to get a one-year award. It’s probably going to be a pretty good amount of money, and then he’s in a position to be a free agent next summer.
So we already know the Stars tried to trade him and weren’t able to, to consummate that trade with Seattle with him not signing a long-term extension. So you know it, that’ll be an interesting arbitration case if it happens.
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McKenzie: “I’m not saying I want it to get to a point where Jason Robertson goes to free agency, but the Jason Robertson sweepstakes in free agency next summer is way sexier than anything we’ve heard around free agents this year. Especially considering what the class was supposed to look like, maybe as of like a year or two years ago, and then the names just kept falling off the board. We, we, we need sexy names back on the free agent board, CJ. We need that back.
Johnston: “Well, you, you have restricted free agents to focus on now too, with the offer sheet thing being in play. I mean, you know, the interesting thing about the Robertson situation is the feeling is he doesn’t want to leave Dallas. Like for all the kind of machinations that are happening here, you know, obviously he’s trying to to get what he thinks is fair value for his services.
But you know, I don’t think ultimately he really wants to, to be anywhere but with the Stars. So you know it’ll be interesting to me to see can they patch it together and, and maybe ultimately agree to some sort of contract that works. You know he’s also in a, in a weird spot because he isn’t eligible to get, he’s not, he’s not eligible to get any trade protection for this coming season.
So if he signs a big-money extension, even, you know, there’s still a year where the Stars could theoretically trade him too. So it’s just it’s kind of he’s he’s like one of these players. He’s caught between all these. these forces. Obviously, he’s a, you know, one of the top scorers in the league the last number of years. You know has some some pretty special offensive gifts, and he’s going to get paid, but it’s just not clear where and when and how just yet.
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And you know, you’re right. If he does goes through the arbitration hearing, that in and of itself will be another kind of moment where he and the Stars are on the opposite side of the table from each other. Not, not necessarily seeing the world the same way. And then you know what does what does that set up for this coming season for him if he gets a one-year award in terms of his relationship with the team. How actively they’re looking to trade him or not, and then ultimately does he become a UFA in July 1st, 2027.
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