Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers said he and his teammates were left with a sour taste in their mouths after Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson rejected a lucrative offer to play in the Emerald City.
"Yeah, absolutely," Beniers told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "There's a tough rep about Seattle because it's rainy, and maybe the city. But guys love it in Seattle - the guys that are there. When the sun's out, it's beautiful. There's so much nature; there are a lot of things to do. So yeah, it obviously doesn't feel good when you're on a team and you try to get someone else and they don't want to come. But at the same time, if you don't want to be here, we don't want you, anyway."
Robertson reportedly nixed a sign-and-trade in June that would have sent him to the Kraken and paid him $15 million annually. At the time, the deal would have made him the second-highest paid player in the NHL.
The Stars ultimately signed Robertson to a one-year, $12-million contract. It will take him to unrestricted free agency next summer. The 27-year-old notched 45 goals and 96 points last season, and would have been a massive addition to a Kraken team that's missed the playoffs in four out of five seasons since joining the league.
"It's up to them; it's their decision," Beniers said. "Every team, you want guys that want to be there. You don't want to bring someone in that doesn't want to be there. It just won't work out."
Seattle drafted Beniers second overall in 2021. He's notched 196 points in 331 games with the club.
