With the July 25 deadline looming, Dallas risks losing its star forward to free agency unless both sides can bridge a massive valuation gap before the hearing.
Sunday marked another step in what has turned out to be a very long process of Jason Robertson getting his next contract.
Robertson and the Dallas Stars received the date for his arbitration hearing to determine his value for the next season. In other words, the Stars have until the July 25 arbitration date to come to terms with Robertson before a third party gets involved in the process.
Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson (21) shoots the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn ImagesOf course, Robertson could still be traded to another team where he is willing to sign a long term deal before the date as well, but the lack of anything happening likely means the Stars are still trying their best to keep him in Dallas for years to come.
Once the arbitrator rules, Robertson will have a one-year contract as set by those terms before heading to unrestricted free agency next season. That could be devastating for Dallas if he walked away in a year with no return on investment for the Stars. He could still be dealt after the shorter contract is awarded, but could be worth less in return due to the shorter term and the same potential for Robertson to walk away if he didn't like the fit.
Robertson and the Stars have been rumored to be far more than $1 million apart with little or no budging coming from either side. There will surely be more chapters written before the book closes on this contract saga.
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