On a night in Dallas where the Stars inducted beloved broadcaster Ralph Strangis and Stanley Cup Champion Joe Nieuwendyk to the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame, the camera was centered on one man. Jason Robertson. Robertson, who is in the final year of a 4-year $31 million “bridge” contract, is no stranger to being the center of attention.
Jason Robertson, or Robo as he is known in these parts, has had rumors swirling above his head for the better part of 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 has gotten well underway. As of today, there is essentially no news of when or if the contract will be offered, and then, if it will be signed. The Stars have always been delicate with that type of news, and until we see Kevin Weekes’ forehead on X or get hit with a “Fried-bomb,” there is not much to report.
So, where do the Stars go from here?
The popular opinion lands Robo in the $12 million a year range, right along with Finnish stud, Mikko Rantanen. How does that happen? Quite frankly, 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. (All are unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season.) Factor in Justin Hryckowian as a restricted free agent, and Jim Nill has quite a mountain to climb moving forward.
While it may turn into a numbers game for Nill, one thing is for certain. Robo is earning his next contract.
Having been the focus of contract talks all summer long, Robertson has found himself on a heater as of late. On November 8th, Robertson had goose eggs across the board. Only logging two shots in just under 15 minutes of ice time and landing a rare dash 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 roster. If anything is true, it’s that Robo is doing every damned thing he can to show he is a $12 million man.
Robertson’s numbers are already on pace to exceed his previous season-high totals in TOI and shots on goal. In his lone 100-point-plus season, Robo amassed 313 shots on goal and 18:50 on average in ice time. Through 19 games in the 25-26 season, Robertson currently stands at 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 California kid.
As the season continues and the contract talks proceed, whether we know it or not, I would have to predict Robertson netting a $10-$12 million range. Further solidifying a roster that has been on the cusp of greatness for years and will continue to do so for more years to come.
The Morning Skate 