TORONTO — The Robertson brothers will soon be negotiating the most important — and, potentially, contentious — contracts of their NHL careers, and they’ve hired a new agent to do so.
Jason Robertson, 26, and Nick Robertson, 24, are skating toward restricted free agency with the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively.
Both are enjoying relatively fantastic seasons on the ice. Both are facing uncertainty off it.
The siblings have parted ways with CAA’s Pat Brisson and hired Octagon’s Andy Scott to represent them, a move first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast and addressed by Nick on Monday morning.
“Just excited for this new chapter. I mean, I really had a good relationship with Pat, and it’s just the way things are. You got to make decisions that are in your best interest, and this is one of them,” Nick explained, in conversation with Sportsnet.ca.
Nick did not wish to delve deep into details of the switch and stressed that it would not affect his personal relationship with Brisson, with whom the Robertsons had been working well before they made it to the show.
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Brisson is a power player in the game who also represents Nick’s teammate, John Tavares, and his boyhood idol, Sidney Crosby. Brisson once helped secure one of Crosby’s sticks for Robertson, which he cherishes.
“All I could say is, I had a great relationship with Pat. I’ve known him since I was a young kid in L.A., and this is kind of the decision that me and my family made that, you know, it’s just kind of one of those things,” Nick said.
“But I love Pat. I think he’s a great person. We got a great relationship. He’s not representing me now, but I would say we still have a great relationship going forward.”
How important is it that both Nick and Jason share an agent?
“I don’t know if it’s an emphasis. I just think it’s kind of been like that,” Nick replied.
“We’re brothers. It’s more convenient when you can talk amongst family with the same agent.”
Hugh Robertson, the players’ father, is an accomplished real estate lawyer. He has a keen interest in his sons’ careers.
Scott and the family are in for some fascinating negotiations and are armed with more leverage than ever.
Jason is one year away from UFA status in Dallas, and Nick now has arbitration rights after signing consecutive one-year contracts with GM Brad Treliving in Toronto.
Jason is on pace for a 93-point season with the Stars and was the most notable U.S. forward left off the Olympic roster. That did not sit well.
The Stars are a Stanley Cup contender who could (a) move Jason in what would be a blockbuster trade; (b) find common ground on a long-term extension, for which Jason is believed to be asking for an AAV in the ballpark of $12 million, a significant raise from his current $7.75 million salary; or (c) simply extend the top-line winger for one year and walk him straight to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.
Jason’s qualifying offer is $9.3 million.
Stars fans are encouraged by the fact that Scott has already reached long-term agreements with Dallas GM Jim Nill for three of his other clients, with minimal strife: Wyatt Johnston (five years, $42 million), Mikko Rantanen (eight years, $96 million), and Thomas Harley (eight years, $84.7 million).
Nick’s payday won’t be so gaudy, but his is a fascinating case.
The younger Robertson, through Brisson, has pushed for a trade out of Toronto the last two off-seasons, seeking more ice time. Treliving has preferred to keep the improving winger.
Making his debut in the 2020 post-season bubble, Nick has bounced all over the Maple Leafs’ lineup. He’s been scratched and sent to the farm and promoted all the way to the top line.
He’s “definitely learned a lot” about the business of hockey during this rocky search for his niche within it.
“I know nothing’s personal. That’s what I’ve learned real quick — to not take things personal, that decisions are made literally for my job, even when I was in the mix of business decisions with Toronto,” Nick said.
“So, just not to take things personal. It’s literally a business. You have to make those decisions for that.”
Hours before scoring his 11th goal of the season, against Minnesota, Nick said that no contract extension talks have taken place with Treliving.
Nick’s qualifying offer is a modest $1.825 million.
He’d rather have security.
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“Preferably, you want a multi-year deal that works for you and obviously the right number. But when that time comes, the price has to be right. Everything has to be in motion,” Nick said.
“Ideally, I don’t want to be one-year deals the rest of my career, yeah. So, we’re gonna have to kind of look into that in the future. But right now, I gotta do what I can to put myself in a good position in that area and help the team.”
That he is doing.
Despite spurts of silent dissatisfaction with deployment, Nick’s effort has never come under question. He is on pace to set career highs in goals, assists, and ice time, while improving his defensive play.
“This is one of these years where I just feel so confident. I really feel comfortable in the room, comfortable playing my style and finding, like, just my identity of really who I am,” Nick said.
“You know, last year I showed spurts. But now I think I’m more consistent as each game goes on and just try to really build on the confidence I have.”
Then, a few months from now, bring that confidence to the negotiating table.
