FRISCO, Texas — Jason Robertson is happy to be with the Dallas Stars for another season, and not too concerned about the process that led to a $12 million contract to avoid a salary arbitration hearing only weeks after the team had a deal to trade him.
“What happened from then to now is, kind of doesn't matter anymore,” Robertson said Wednesday, his 27th birthday and a day after signing the one-year deal. “Just want to focus on having a great summer this year and coming into camp ready to go and trying to win a (Stanley) Cup.”
Robertson has averaged more than a point a game in his six full NHL seasons, all with the Stars — 490 points (213 goals and 277 assists) in 456 regular-season games.
He was their leading scorer with 96 points (45 goals and 51 assists) last season, and had five goals with three assists in six playoff games. His third 40-goal season wrapped up a $31-million, four-year deal before going into this off-season as a restricted free agent.
Without an extension before next off-season, Robertson could have become an unrestricted free agent for the first time.
“At the end of the day, it's a business for them, for me, everything. I don't know their future plans, they don't know our future plans either,” Robertson said on a Zoom call after skating in Michigan. “I’m sure we’re just both content to getting it done, having now the time to re-evaluate both of our futures.”
General manager Jim Nill said the Stars hope to reach a long-term extension, though the earliest they could sign such a deal would be Jan. 1. He said they would start working on it before then with a player he has called a franchise cornerstone.
“That’s our plan,” Nill said earlier in the day during an availability at team headquarters. “We’re happy he wants to be a Dallas Star. We want him to be a Dallas Star, and have those discussions.
We want to make this work.”
Nill said different scenarios were discussed during these negotiations, including long- and short-term deals. He said Robertson's representatives made it clear throughout the process that the forward wanted to be with the Stars.
"This was probably the best fit for this time,“ Nill said of the one-year contract.
Nill and Robertson both acknowledged their desire to get a deal done and avoid an arbitration hearing scheduled for Saturday.
Robertson, the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, has played in all 328 regular-season games the past four seasons. He has scored 365 points (155 goals and 210 assists) in that span.
His $12-million salary for 2026-27 will match forward Mikko Rantanen for the highest on the Stars. Rantanen just completed the first season of the $96 million, eight-year extension he signed to facilitate the deadline trade that brought him to Dallas from Carolina in March 2025.
The Stars had a sign-and-trade deal in place during last month's draft to send Robertson to Seattle for the seventh overall pick. While Robertson couldn’t veto that trade, he didn't agree to a long-term deal with the Kraken — a reported $120 million over eight years ($15 million a season).
With veteran Tyler Seguin going into the final season of his contract that pays $9.85 million annually, and the NHL salary cap also increasing by almost that much next off-season, the Stars would be in a much better position to extend Robertson than they were now.
“I’m happy to happy to be playing with them starting in September,” Robertson said, “and see where it goes.”