Jason Robertson signs one-year $12 million contract with Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson signs one-year $12 million contract with Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars have resolved a contentious contract situation, with the high-scoring forward signing a one-year, $12 million contract on Tuesday. The agreement ensures the six-year veteran remains in Dallas and avoids a looming salary arbitration hearing.

The deal follows a period of significant instability. Robertson, a restricted free agent, had filed for salary arbitration before the July 5 league deadline. While the Stars initially offered a qualifying offer of $9.3 million, the two sides eventually settled on the $12 million figure. The contract contains no signing bonus, a detail that would reduce the amount owed should the Stars trade Robertson before the 2027 NHL trade deadline.

The agreement ends a wave of trade speculation. General manager Jim Nill had acknowledged after the NHL draft that a sign-and-trade deal existed to send Robertson to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for the seventh overall pick. Although Robertson could not veto such a trade, he refused to sign a long-term contract with Seattle, which was reported to be worth $120 million over eight years, or $15 million per season.

Other rumors linked Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman, there was momentum between the Penguins and Dallas during the draft weekend, but that deal did not reach the finish line.

"Jason has been a cornerstone of our franchise since he was drafted in 2017,"

Jim Nill, general manager, via aol.com

Nill further described Robertson as a dynamic and skilled player and one of the top offensive threats in the league since his debut, stating that the team is excited for the coming season as they continue their push for a championship in Dallas.

Robertson's new salary puts him in a tie with forward Mikko Rantanen for the highest earner on the Stars. Rantanen joined Dallas via a deadline trade from Carolina in March 2025 and is currently in the first year of an eight-year, $96 million extension.

The one-year term provides a temporary solution for both the player and the organization. Under the NHL collective bargaining agreement, Robertson can re-sign beginning January 1. This window allows the Stars to continue negotiating a long-term deal while managing their current salary cap space, which stands at approximately $10.6 million. Dallas expects further financial flexibility next summer when the salary cap is projected to increase by $9 million and the contract of Tyler Seguin, which carries a $9.85 million hit, expires.

Robertson's production has remained consistent. In the 2025-26 season, he recorded a team-high 96 points, consisting of 51 assists and 45 goals. That goal total was one shy of his career high. He has played in all 82 regular-season games for the Stars in each of the last four seasons, totaling 328 games in that span with 155 goals and 210 assists.

Across 456 career regular-season games, Robertson has accumulated 490 points, including 213 goals and 277 assists. He was named an NHL First Team All-Star both in the 2022-23 season—during which he set career highs with 46 goals, 63 assists, and 109 points—and this most recent season. He originally joined the Stars after being selected 39th overall in the second round of the 2017 draft, recently completing a four-year, $31 million contract signed in 2022.

Robertson will turn 27 on Wednesday.

The short-term nature of the contract means the stakes remain high for the coming months. If Robertson does not sign a new extension starting in January, he will become an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2027-28 season.