On a night in Dallas as the Stars welcomed beloved announcer Ralph Strangis and Stanley Cup champion Joe Nieuwendyk into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame, the camera was focused on one man. Jason Robertson. Robertson, who is in the final year of a four-year, $31 million bridge contract, is no stranger to being the center of attention.
Jason Robertson, or Robo as he’s known around these parts, has had rumors hanging over his head for well over a year. The back and forth of “will he or won’t he” has led to a current standstill in contract negotiations between current Stars GM Jim Nill and the Robo camp as the season is already well underway. As of today, there is essentially no news on when or if the contract will be tendered, or if it will subsequently be signed. The Stars have always been sensitive to that kind of news, and until we see Kevin Weekes’ forehead on X or get hit with a “Fried bomb,” there isn’t much to report.
So, where do the stars go from here?
Popular opinion puts Robo in the $12 million-a-year category, along with Finnish stallion Mikko Rantanen. How does that happen? Honestly, it’ll be tight, but it could work. The Stars are projected to have $17,394,667 next season, and they would also look to re-sign Jamie Benn, Mavrik Bourque and possibly Nils Lundkvist, leaving Alexander Petrovic, Kyle Capobianco, Adam Erne and Nathan Bastion as outliers. (They’ll all be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2025-26 season.) Add Justin Hryckowian as a restricted free agent, and Jim Nill has quite a mountain to climb going forward.
While it could be a numbers game for Nill, one thing is certain. Robo deserves his next contract.
Robertson has been the subject of contract talks all summer and has been in trouble of late. On November 8, Robertson had goose eggs across the board. Only two shots registered in just under 15 minutes of ice time and a rare mark on the stat sheet. Since that game, Robo has 10 points in four games with six goals and four assists, including a natural hat trick on Saturday night against a feisty Philadelphia Flyers squad. If anything is true, it’s that Robo does everything he can to show that he is a $12 million man.
Robertson’s numbers are already on track to surpass his high totals in TOI and shots on target from last season. In his only season with more than 100 points, Robo had 313 shots on goal and averaged 18:50 of ice time. Through 19 games in the 25-26 season, Robertson currently has 82 shots on goal with 20:07 of ice time, and if the pace continues, we could very likely see another standout season in a contract year for the kid from California.
As the season progresses and contract talks continue, whether we know it or not, I would have to predict Robertson will net a range of $10-$12 million. Further strengthening a selection that has been on the cusp of greatness for years and will continue to do so for years to come.
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