- Jason Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday
- The deal ends a summer of trade rumors and sets Robertson up for unrestricted free agency next offseason
- Read below for the full terms, the cap crunch it creates, and what Jim Nill said
Jason Robertson isn’t going anywhere, at least not this season.
The Stars signed their leading scorer to a one-year, $12 million contract on Tuesday, closing out a summer of standoff and trade chatter that hung over Dallas for weeks. Robertson had filed for arbitration on July 5 and avoids a hearing with days to spare.
We had the news:
The number matters. Robertson made $7.75 million in each of the past four seasons, so $12 million is a serious raise. It also matches the salary Mikko Rantanen carries through 2032-33, the figure Dallas reportedly did not want to cross. The two sides met right there, just without any long-term commitment attached.
Stars GM Jim Nill talked about the winger in the team’s release.
“Jason has been a cornerstone of our franchise since he was drafted in 2017. A dynamic and skilled player, he has been one of the league’s top offensive threats since making his NHL debut.”
Dallas made it official:
Robertson earned the bump. He led the Stars with 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games last season and finished 10th in league scoring. He added eight points in six playoff games before Dallas fell in the first round.
Since 2020-21, the 26-year-old tops the Stars in goals, assists, points, power-play goals and power-play points. A second-round pick back in 2017, he now has 490 points in 456 regular-season games.
The signing creates a headache too. According to PuckPedia, the deal puts Dallas roughly $1.36 million over the cap with 22 active players, so the front office has cleanup to do before the opening-night roster is due.
Dallas already cleared money earlier this month, trading Mavrik Bourque to Nashville for two picks. Another move or two could follow.
The trade rumors ran hot enough this summer that Robertson’s brother Nick spent part of his own offseason swatting down Penguins speculation about him.
Robertson can sign an extension as early as January 1. If he doesn’t, he hits unrestricted free agency next summer as one of the best pure scorers on the market.
