yardbarker
The Dallas Stars probably thought they had plenty of leverage when the offseason began.
Jason Robertson was a restricted free agent.
He's coming off another outstanding season in which he had 45 goals and 51 assists while posting a +22 rating.
If the Stars couldn't reach an agreement, they could always explore the trade market and let interested teams bid against one another.
Simple enough.
Except it hasn't worked out that way.
The Stars may not have as much leverage as they once did Instead of becoming the hottest name on the trade market, Robertson has reportedly declined long-term contract extensions that would have sent him to Seattle and, later, St.
Louis.
Those deals never crossed the finish line because Robertson wasn't willing to commit to either destination.
That's a pretty significant development.
People keep asking whether Dallas is going to trade Robertson.
It forces one to wonder if that's even the right question anymore.
The better question is who Robertson is actually willing to play for.
Think about it from another general manager's perspective.
You're prepared to give Dallas a package of prospects, draft picks, maybe even an NHL player.
Then you find out Robertson isn't interested in signing an eight-year extension with your team.
The conversation changes in a hurry.
Suddenly you're not negotiating with just Jim Nill.
You're negotiating with Robertson, too.
That's a much smaller trade market than people realize.
Robertson's decision should not come as a surprise None of this should surprise anyone.
Robertson has scored goals at an elite level since breaking into the league.
He turns 27 on July 22, the salary cap is climbing and players of his caliber don't hit the market very often.
If he believes he's worth one of the richest contracts in hockey, why rush into a situation he doesn't love? Honestly, he shouldn't.
This is exactly why star players fight to reach this point in their careers.
Once they have leverage, they're supposed to use it.
That doesn't mean Dallas is in trouble.
Far from it.
The Stars can still get a deal done themselves, and that has always seemed like the cleanest outcome.
Robertson is already one of the faces of the franchise, and replacing nearly 100 points a season isn't something contenders do overnight.
But every week this drags on, it becomes a little harder to believe Dallas is steering the ship.
Robertson appears to be in firm control A month ago it felt like the Stars held every card.
They could keep Robertson, trade him or simply wait.
Now? It feels more like Robertson is choosing which cards Dallas is allowed to play.
That's a very different negotiation than the one most people thought this would be when the summer started.
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