Stars Keep Jason Robertson With One-Year, $12 Million Deal

The Dallas Stars have had a difficult offseason, with one of the franchise’s most dynamic weapons and best players potentially leaving the team.

In fact, given Jason Robertson’s need for a new contract, the Stars attempted to trade him earlier in the offseason. But a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Seattle Kraken ultimately fell apart after Robertson declined the long-term contract being offered.

And after several weeks of navigating the situation, attempting to negotiate a new contract and exploring trade opportunities for Robertson, the Stars ultimately agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with him this week.

The agreement allows both sides to avoid a salary arbitration hearing and temporarily ends the uncertainty surrounding his future.

And while both sides likely would’ve preferred to reach a long-term deal, this is a stopgap solution that allows them to continue working toward one over the next year.

It also allows Robertson to remain on a contending Stars team that should have the pieces necessary to compete for a Stanley Cup this season, or at the very least remain firmly in the mix.

The one-year contract gives Robertson a significant raise. But on a long-term deal, the expectation was that he could command even more on a yearly basis, which appears to have been one of the biggest obstacles throughout negotiations.

For now, however, the good news is that Robertson and the Stars can turn their focus back to hockey.

The trade rumors and contract negotiations are in the rearview mirror, at least temporarily, and the two sides can work together toward building a championship team this season.

Robertson led Dallas with 96 points last year and remains one of the most important pieces of its championship core. The long-term situation hasn’t been solved.

But Dallas has kept its cornerstone forward for another season, and both sides can deal with the issue again next year.