- Jim Nill says the Stars plan to sign Jason Robertson to an extension during the season
- Robertson is on a one-year, $12 million deal and can start talking terms Jan. 1
- Read below for what Nill said and the cap math Dallas has to solve first
Jim Nill is not waiting until next summer to sort out Jason Robertson.
The Stars general manager said Dallas intends to sign its leading scorer to an extension during the 2026-27 season, before Robertson can reach unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. Nill laid it out Thursday in an interview with NHL Network.
Nill was asked how hard the summer negotiation actually got.
“It’s always going to be hard. You’re dealing with star players and they deserve to get paid,” Nill said. “And we’re trying to find the right number that makes it fit so we can keep our team together. And so I don’t want to say it’s tough negotiations. It just takes time. It’s patience. It’s time. And until you hit deadlines, nothing really happens.”
He was clearer about the next step.
“Our plan is to try to get him signed here this season sometime before it comes to UFA,” Nill said.
Watch the full sit-down with Nill:
Robertson filed for salary arbitration on July 5 and signed the one-year, $12 million contract on July 21, four days before his scheduled hearing in Toronto. The number ties him with Mikko Rantanen for the highest cap hit on the Dallas roster this season.
That one-year term is the whole problem. It walks Robertson to the open market on July 1, 2027. The two sides can agree to an extension of up to seven years starting Jan. 1.
It nearly went a different direction. Dallas had a sign-and-trade framework in place that would have sent Robertson to Seattle for the No. 7 pick in the 2026 draft, ESPN reported. Robertson would not sign long term with the Kraken, who had eight years on the table.
The cap sheet does not leave him much room to work with either. PuckPedia had the Stars projected over the ceiling the night the Robertson deal landed:
Money is going to be tight again next summer, too. Lian Bichsel needs a new deal, and so does Tyler Seguin, who is skating again after missing most of last season.
Robertson has earned whatever is coming. He led Dallas with 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games last season, then put up eight points in six playoff games. Across 456 regular-season games, all with the Stars, he has 213 goals and 490 points.
The comparables are ugly for a team with no cap space. Cale Makar just became the first player in league history above $20 million a year. Kirill Kaprizov is at $17 million. Leon Draisaitl sits at $14 million.
Dallas can open extension talks Jan. 1. Nill would rather not find out what Robertson is worth on July 1.
