Jim Nill you magnificent old man-boy, we never doubted you. Okay, maybe some Stars fans got a little weary before the news broke that the Stars officially re-signed sensation, Jason Robertson, late on Wednesday night. The contract is one of beauty as we break it down and talk about what this means for the Dallas Stars with one week left before the ’22-’23 season kicks off.
The Robo deal is worth $31 million and has an AAV of $7.75 million over the next four years, and while that contract in itself is a miracle, the breakdown is even more impressive. Not only did Nill manage to sign Robo WELL under market value, but Nill also pulled it off while making sure that when the contract is up the Stars will retain Robo’s rights as a RFA. Why is this important? Funny you ask. A pair of monster contracts (cough cough Benn and Seguin cough cough) will be officially off the books AND the salary cap will be rumored to be reaching $92 million. With Jake Oettinger signing earlier in the offseason for three years and Robo for four, two cornerstones of the Stars’ future are set up to be around for many seasons to come.
I could go on and on about how important the Robo signing is to the Stars, but the numbers speak for themselves. In 128 NHL games played, Robo has 125 points (58G/67A). Robo is the youngest Dallas Star in history to reach 40 goals in a single season and is firmly implanted on the top line alongside Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. With new head coach Pete DeBoer being a more offensive-minded head coach than that other guy in Winnipeg, it is likely that Robo will be given more opportunities to flex his scoring muscles even more.
Stars fans can breathe easy as they now have their final piece in place to make a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup. The season kicks off on Thursday, October 13th as the Dallas Stars take on the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena.
The Morning Skate 