Forward Jason Robertson has signed a one-year, $12 million contract to remain with the Dallas Stars, the team announced Tuesday night. The restricted free agent filed for arbitration ahead of the NHL’s July 5 deadline, but opted to settle before his case was heard.
It wasn’t a guarantee that Robertson would stay in Dallas, despite the team tendering a $9.3 million qualifying offer. The forward, who turns 27 on Wednesday, was seeking a significant raise from his previous four-year, $31 million contract, which carried a $7.75 million cap hit. Last month, Robertson rejected a trade and an eight-year contract extension worth $15 million annually from the Seattle Kraken.
Numerous other teams had expressed interest in acquiring the 26-year-old before he filed for arbitration.
Robertson scored 45 goals with the Stars last season, one short of his career high and tied for fourth among NHL skaters in 2025-26 alongside teammate Wyatt Johnston, Kirill Kaprizov, and Macklin Celebrini. A second-round pick of Dallas in 2017, he has averaged 91 points over the past four regular seasons, appearing in all 82 games in each. He registered five goals and eight points in six games last playoffs, as the Stars lost in the first round to the Minnesota Wild.
NHL offer sheets are just business
Sean Gentille and Sean McIndoe
What this means for Stars, Robertson
The best way to view this one-year deal is that it buys the Stars time. Dallas is in a difficult salary-cap jam — sitting a little more than $1 million over the limit after this signing — and getting Robertson signed to a long-term commitment would have meant a higher cap hit and cuts elsewhere.
With Robertson in the lineup heading into training camp, general manager Jim Nill now has some options. He can continue to negotiate with Robertson’s camp toward a longer extension, something Robertson is eligible to sign starting Jan. 1. Or he can look to trade Robertson during the season for a package that will allow the contending Stars to compete for the Stanley Cup.
But this has been a contentious process, one that would have been made even more adversarial had it proceeded to arbitration. The Stars attempted to deal Robertson to the Kraken, but Robertson nipped that in the bud.
Part of why it’s been difficult to get a deal done is that, with the NHL salary cap rising rapidly the past two seasons, the value of a young star like Robertson is evolving quickly — especially with the threat of an offer sheet proving very real, in light of Leo Carlsson’s record-setting $18 million-per-season deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Robertson can now become the NHL’s top unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027. Given the scarcity of available talent, a bidding war would likely see him become one of the highest-paid players in league history.
That’s what’s working against Dallas. But the good news for the Stars is they were able to come to an agreement here, even if it’s a short one. With the cap projected to increase an additional $9.5 million for 2027-28, Dallas will have additional cap flexibility to accommodate a long-term deal a year from now.
By all accounts, Robertson is interested in re-signing with the Stars. But he’s also clearly using the newfound leverage that top NHL players now have to get his market value and betting on himself with such an unusual, short-term commitment for next season. — James Mirtle, NHL writer