FRISCO — Stars GM Jim Nill didn’t hesitate to begin contract negotiations with Jason Robertson’s team in July as soon as he could, but that early start may not help the two parties reach a deal any sooner.
“The negotiating market right now with the players in the league has come to a standstill, and it’s a standstill, too, with Jason,” Nill said Wednesday.
The Stars’ leading goal scorer last season is set to be a restricted free agent next offseason in 2026. He’s entering the final year of a four-year bridge deal where he makes $7.75 million annually — a steal for a player averaging over a point-per-game in his career.
This offseason, trade rumors began to swirl, as Robertson is worth far more than he makes, and even with the league’s salary cap going up, the Stars don’t have much room to work with. Many wondered whether the team would consider trading the 26-year-old forward this offseason for a hefty return.
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Nill explained why those rumors began Wednesday.
“First of all, I think things really got blown out of proportion,” he said. “You hear a lot of these situations going on right now that are taking place. Those players are all UFAs. We have team control for two more years, RFA rights for Jason for two more years, so it’s a different time frame.
“We had to get rid of players during the summer because of the cap situation. Other teams aren’t really fair. They know our situation too, so they know we’ve got to do something, so they’re calling. They’re asking about different players, as they should be.”
The Stars began receiving calls about Robertson before they had even traded Mason Marchment and Matt Dumba. Other teams knew they needed to clear up some space, so those GMs did their due diligence. Nill did, too, by listening to offers.
But the Stars never wanted to trade Robertson this offseason. If he were a pending unrestricted free agent, as Nill said, the situation would’ve been different. But Robertson doesn’t achieve UFA status until the summer of 2027. The Stars can sign Robertson to a one-year deal with a $9.3 million qualifying offer.
The goal, of course, is to find a way to sign a longer-term deal that makes both sides happy, but there are technically still two years left until that needs to get done. However, if Robertson does sign a one-year deal next offseason, that will take him up to UFA status. The Stars could consider trading him before then to avoid letting him walk for free.
Nill said Wednesday that neither party is in any rush.
“He wants to see what the market is,” Nill said. “We want to see what the market is, so things are kind of really on hold.”
Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) scores a goal during the third period of an NHL game against the Calgary Flames, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Dallas. The Stars defeated the Flames 3-2 in overtime.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
The silver lining, Nill said, is that they expect to get Robertson’s best this year. In a contract and Olympic year, he has a lot to play for. He’s also coming off back-to-back 80-point seasons which included a slow start last fall after missing training camp to recover from foot surgery. After surpassing 100 points in 2022-23, it’s clear he has another level to reach.
If Robertson can reach that 100-point threshold again, it’ll drive up his price. He could seek a deal close to the $12 million annually that Mikko Rantanen makes.
The cap goes up $8.5 million next season, but the Stars also have to sign Thomas Harley, who is on the last year of a two-year extension worth $4 million annually. He’ll be an RFA, as well.
“We’ve talked a little bit, just really kind of off-the-record, but I’d like to get started on that sooner than later and see where it goes,” Nill said of Harley. “Once again, I want to be careful. This is an Olympic year, and I have gone through this with some other players. It’s a big year for Thomas, and I just want to make sure they’re comfortable with it, and I want to keep it as short as we can if we are going to do it. But I would like to get that started.”
A good year for Robertson may make him more desirable elsewhere, but it also raises the asking price in a potential trade. With the Stars holding control for another year, they could get quite the return if they can’t fit him into their cap in the future — a return similar to what they gave up for Rantanen.
It’s really a toss-up at this point whether Robertson stays in Dallas long term, but it’s not looking like a resolution is coming anytime soon. Rather than rooting for a contract, Stars fans will have to root for getting the most out of Robertson’s scoring abilities as long as he’s still wearing victory green.
“We communicated all summer,” Nill said. ”They know our stance. I know what they’re looking for, and I’m confident we’re gonna get something done.”
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