Jason Robertson turned down a massive offer from the Kraken

Vincent Larue
Jason Robertson turned down a massive offer from the Kraken
Credit: Capture d'écran

I guess $120 million isn't always enough.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Jason Robertson turned down an eight-year contract offer from the Seattle Kraken worth a total of $120 million, representing an average annual salary of $15 million.

Yes, yes. Fifteen million dollars per season.

The story gets even more interesting when you learn that the Stars and the Kraken already had a trade framework in place. According to Friedman, Seattle was willing to give up the seventh overall pick to acquire the forward's rights.

So everything seemed set for Robertson to become the new face of the Kraken.

But no.

The 26-year-old reportedly turned down the offer, which simultaneously derailed talks between the two teams.

And yet we're talking about a player who would have become one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. An annual salary of $15 million would have placed him in the same league as some of the biggest names in the league.

It's also worth noting that Seattle was a particularly attractive destination from a financial standpoint. Washington State also offers very favorable tax rates, which made the offer even more enticing.

Despite this, Robertson reportedly preferred to pass on the opportunity.

It's hard not to conclude that he simply doesn't want anything to do with the Kraken at this point.

Pierre LeBrun has also reported that the Stars have already resumed talks with certain teams that had shown interest in the forward, while keeping the door open for a contract extension. Clearly, Jim Nill wants to keep all options on the table.

After all, Seattle has still been searching for its true franchise player since joining the NHL. The organization has made the playoffs only once and has yet to attract a star capable of completely transforming the franchise.

This isn't the first time Seattle has struggled to attract a true star, either. Over the years, the organization has been linked to several big names, including Artemi Panarin, but has never managed to convince a player of that caliber to become the face of the franchise.

Money is obviously still a major factor in a decision of this magnitude. However, when $120 million and a significant tax advantage aren't enough to convince a player, it's clear that other factors are at play.

In Robertson's case, the message sent to the Kraken and the rest of the league seems pretty clear nonetheless.


In a nutshell

– To be continued.

– Cool!

– Wow.

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