NHL Rumors: Stars expect to sign Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger, plus Rasmus Sandin holdout?
Anthony Scultore
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Today’s NHL Rumors looks at the Dallas Stars, who still have two very important players to sign before they start the 2022-23 campaign.
Restricted free agents Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson have yet to ink new contracts, but GM Jim Nill sounds very confident things will get done.
“We’re continuing to have dialogue and negotiating,” Nill said. “Things are going the right way, but like with any negotiation, they just take time. Right now, without deadlines, those things just kind of go on. We’re going to get both players signed up. It’s just part of the process in today’s negotiations.”
NHL.com
NHL Rumors: Jason Roberson and Jake Oettinger
Robertson, 23, notched 41 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season for the Stars. He’s a big part of their offense and they expect him to only get better in the near future.
The biggest question is what kind of deal will the two sides agree on? Are we looking at a possible bridge deal, or will the Stars go for a longterm contract. Anything that buys up free agent years starting at 27 years-old means a bigger cap hit today that may look like a bargain in three or four years.
Oettinger, 23, posted a 30-15-1 record in 2021-22 with a 2.53 GAA and a .914 SV%. With goalie Braden Holtby out for the season, the Stars need to get him under terms soon.
Prior to Nill’s comments this week, reports indicated that the two sides weren’t speaking much this summer. Oettinger, similar to Robertson does not have arbitration rights, which puts the Stars in control. He’s coming off his entry level contact signed in 2019 and wants to stay in Dallas but could hold out knowing the team’s situation in goal.
According to CapFriendly, the Stars have around $10 million in cap space to get them both under contract.
UPDATE: Per Kevin Weekes, the Stars are close to extending Jake Oettinger.
NHL Rumors: Rasmus Sandin holdout?
Things are still going nowhere for RFA defenseman Rasmus Sandin and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Recently, Luke Fox of Sportsnet not that he two sides are not making any progress in contract talks.
“Negotiations are going nowhere,” Lewis Gross, Sandin’s agent, told Fox. “You know I don’t usually say much (publicly) anyway. But they’re just going nowhere right now.”
This week, Chris Johnston said on his show that he’s not sure if Sandin will be signed by the start of Maple Leafs camp.
Toronto is currently over the cap and likely looking to create some room via a trade.
Sandin, 22, registered 16 points in 51 games during the 2021-22 season. The Leafs first-round pick in the 2018 Draft has 28 points in 88 career contests.