As the beginning of the season approaches, contracts are starting to get signed to avoid the mid-season distraction of negotiations and the rumor mill that comes with it. There were contracts signed within the last couple of days that will impact the Dallas Stars and the contracts they need to sign in the coming months. 

Kirill Kaprizov is staying in Minnesota with the Wild and signed an eight-year, $136 million dollar contract, coming to $17 million AAV. Kaprizov has been in the NHL since 2020 and in 319 games, he has tallied 185 goals and 386 points. Not only is Kaprizov's contract the biggest one in NHL history, but it is also resetting the market for big name forwards with the significant raise in cap, with a projection to going up in the coming years. 

The Stars were fortunate it lock down Mikko Rantanen, who, although a right-wing forward, was in the middle of negotiations with three different teams last season. It was rumored that he was asking for upward of $13-14 million before eventually settling on $12 million dollars with the Stars. But the 28 year-old's career numbers are just as impressive at 294 goals and 705 points in 652 games.

So what does all of this mean for the elephant in the room, Jason Robertson? Robertson is a restricted free-agent after the 2025-26 season. The 26 year-old has been compared to Kaprizov his entire career, especially after losing the Calder Award to him during their rookie seasons. While Kaprizov is two years older, their numbers closely resemble each other. Robertson has 168 goals and 394 points in 374 games. 

A contract like Kaprizov's could be concerning for Dallas, but if there is one thing that Stars fans know, it is general manager Jim Nill, always comes in clutch with very team-friendly contracts. When the Rantanen contract was signed, it was assumed that his contract would be the ceiling for forwards, but with the market changing at a rapid pace, it may not be the ceiling for the Stars. 

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