Stars juggle multiple moving parts in Jason Robertson trade as deal feels imminent

Jason Robertson's future has been one of the biggest storylines of the NHL offseason, and the situation appears to be accelerating. But predicting exactly when a resolution comes remains nearly impossible, even for the most plugged-in insiders.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, he was told Thursday morning that it is difficult to forecast whether Robertson gets moved that day, citing the sheer volume of moving parts in the conversations Dallas currently has swirling around the star winger.

The frenzy intensified after a potential sign-and-trade with the Seattle Kraken collapsed. As first reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Kraken received permission to negotiate directly with Robertson in hopes of finalizing a deal with the Stars. Robertson, however, turned down an eight-year contract offer with an average annual value reportedly in the $15 million range.

With Seattle now pivoting to other targets, Dallas has reopened dialogue with the other clubs that previously expressed interest. The Stars are also keeping lines of communication open with Robertson's camp, led by agent Andy Scott, in hopes of narrowing what has been a significant gap in contract negotiations.

That gap centers on Robertson's ask, which reportedly exceeds the team-high $12 million per year that Mikko Rantanen earns. Dallas, understandably, is reluctant to blow past that internal benchmark by too wide a margin.

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly among several teams that have at least done their due diligence on Robertson's availability.

There is no hard deadline forcing a resolution, but the calendar does create natural pressure. Robertson is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, and the possibility of an offer sheet from another team looms as a factor in how Dallas approaches the situation. The argument against an offer sheet, though, is compelling. Any such deal would be capped at seven years, likely pushing the annual salary north of $15 million, and the compensation owed to Dallas would be four first-round picks.

As LeBrun noted, trading for Robertson likely makes more sense for interested clubs than going the offer-sheet route. Unless a deal involves a first-round pick being used at Friday's NHL Draft in Buffalo, there is no urgent need to wrap things up immediately. This could stretch deep into the summer.

For now, the Stars find themselves at the center of a complex web of negotiations, and all signs suggest something could break at any moment.