- Jason Robertson says his one-year Stars re-signing was “no surprise” with Dallas holding his rights
- The 27-year-old avoided arbitration and can open long-term extension talks on Jan. 1
- Read below for Robertson and GM Jim Nill on the deal and what comes next
Jason Robertson never saw his new one-year deal with the Dallas Stars as any kind of shock.
Robertson met with media Wednesday, a day after signing a one-year, $12 million contract, and framed the outcome as the obvious one. “It was no surprise,” he said, per NHL.com’s Tracey Myers. “Everyone can see that they are in a little (salary cap) crunch. At the end of the day, they had my rights, right? I wasn’t free to go anywhere this year so, the chances of staying in Dallas this offseason were high obviously because of that.”
The pact carries a $12 million cap hit for the coming season, as our board laid out when the news broke:
He turned 27 that day. Robertson was a restricted free agent who had filed for arbitration on July 5, and signing wiped out the hearing.
The road there got messy. In late June, Robertson reportedly turned down an eight-year offer from the Seattle Kraken that would have arrived through a sign-and-trade at the draft, and Nill confirmed the near-deal days later.
Robertson wanted no part of relitigating it. “I mean, knowing now, knowing what happened yesterday, I’d like to leave everything in the past and what happened from then to now doesn’t matter anymore,” he said. “We just want to focus on having a great summer this year, coming to camp ready to go and try to win a (Stanley) Cup.”
Nill spoke Wednesday too and kept it plain. “I talked to Jason this morning. We had a good talk,” the GM said. “He’s up in Detroit, he just wants to continue his training and get excited about this year. He loves hockey.”
Watch Nill break down the deal:
Dallas has good reason to want him back. Robertson led the Stars with 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games last season and added eight more in six playoff games before Minnesota knocked them out in the first round. Since 2020-21, he tops the team in goals, assists and points.
He also made clear he isn’t satisfied. Robertson pointed back to his career-high 109-point season in 2022-23 as proof there’s another gear left. “I know I still have it,” he said, “there’s another level.”
Robertson can open long-term extension talks with Dallas on Jan. 1, 2027. If the two sides can’t get one done, he reaches unrestricted free agency next summer.
