The stalemate is over, as Jason Robertson signed a four-year, $31 million contract with the Stars. The contract for the RFA forward carries an AAV of $7.75 million.
Robertson was one of two key RFAs that Dallas needed to sign this summer, the first being goaltender Jake Oettinger. The forward had not been at training camp or participating in preseason games as a result of the contract negotiations still ongoing, but is expected to report now that a deal is in place.
The 23-year-old has already solidified himself as one of Dallas' best players and the future of the franchise. He's played just two full seasons in the league, but he has 125 points in 128 games, most recently coming off a 79-point season last year.
Playing with Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz, Robertson was a part of one of the most effective lines in hockey. Their 43.3 expected goals for was the second-highest mark in the league in 2021-22, trailing only Calgary's combination of Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm.
The contract is a win-win right now for both sides. For Dallas, the AAV is much lower than many anticipated, especially after fellow RFA Mathew Barzal just received an eight-year deal worth $9.15 million a year from the Islanders. Robertson has put up better numbers than the Isles center, yet won't be getting the same payment. It allows the Stars some cap flexibility the next four seasons, which the team needs with the huge contracts they are on the books for with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Plus, it puts one of their best forwards back on the ice ahead of the regular season.
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For Robertson, he will be 27 years old and still have RFA status at the end of this new deal. This gives him an opportunity to cash in on a long-term deal at a later date, and will have four more years of production under his belt by that time.
Jason Robertson contract details
Robertson's new contract is for four years at $7.75 million per year. In total, the contract will pay out $31 million.
The deal goes into effect immediately and will keep Robertson with the Stars organization until the summer of 2026.
The second-round pick from 2017 was coming off his three-year entry-level contract.
Jason Robertson stats
Robertson's transition from juniors to the NHL has been fairly flawless. While he skated in just three games in 2019-20, he has been a top-six forward for Dallas the last two seasons, producing either just below or above a point-per-game per season.
His 41 goals last season led the Stars, and his 79 points placed him second on the team behind Pavelski.
| Season | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 51 | 17 | 28 | 45 |
| 2021-22 | 74 | 41 | 38 | 79 |
