The contract standoff between the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson entered a fresh chapter Sunday when the high-scoring winger officially filed for salary arbitration ahead of the NHL's 5 p.m. ET cutoff, effectively ending any chance of an outside offer sheet.
Robertson, who will be 27 later this month, reached restricted free agency after playing out a four-year contract worth $31 million that he signed in 2022. His 96-point campaign — 45 goals plus 51 assists over a full 82-game slate — led the team and earned him recognition as a First Team All-Star.
By choosing arbitration, Robertson ensures his case will be heard by an independent adjudicator unless a settlement comes first. The resulting deal would cover only the upcoming season and set up his path to the open market in 2027. Nill indicated that conversations with Robertson's camp were ongoing.
The filing follows weeks of uncertainty. Dallas engineered a sign-and-trade framework with Seattle that would have landed the Stars the seventh overall selection in June's draft, but Robertson was unwilling to accept the Kraken's eight-year proposal carrying a reported $120 million total value and a $15 million average.
Fifteen players across the league filed for arbitration by Sunday's deadline. Dallas carries one of the NHL's heaviest cap structures, with seven players drawing more than $8 million against the ceiling, including Mikko Rantanen at $12 million and blue-liner Thomas Harley at $10.587 million on the deal that begins this fall.
