Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars will avoid a salary arbitration hearing after the high-scoring forward signed a $12 million contract for next season. The Stars announced the deal Tuesday night, a day before Robertson’s 27th birthday and 2 1/2 weeks after he had filed for arbitration. “Jason has been a cornerstone of our franchise since he was drafted in 2017,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “A dynamic and skilled player, he has been one of the league’s top offensive threats since making his NHL debut.” Robertson, who has 490 points (213 goals and 277 assists) in his 456 regular-season career games with the Stars, could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time next summer. His $12 million salary for 2026-27 matches forward Mikko Rantanen for the highest on the Stars. Rantanen just completed the first season of the $96 million, eight-year extension he signed to facilitate the deadline trade that brought him to Dallas from Carolina in March 2025. The NHL’s salary cap will go up another $9.5 million ahead of next season. Tyler Seguin’s contract, worth $9.85 million annually, will also come off the books in summer 2027, freeing up some cap room. But after difficult negotiations that almost led to arbitration, Robertson could also be inclined to test the UFA market. Other teams could be willing to pay him the $14 million or more annually that he desires. If the Stars aren’t willing to meet that number, they may want to trade him before he can officially begin hearing those offers. Nill had acknowledged at the conclusion of the NHL draft that the Stars had a sign-and-trade deal in place to send Robertson to Seattle for the seventh overall pick. While Robertson couldn’t veto that trade, he wouldn’t agree to a long-term deal with the Kraken — a reported $120 million over eight years ($15 million a season). Robertson was due for a sizable raise no matter where it came from. His last contract was a four-year deal worth just $7.75 million annually — a $31 million, four-year deal he got in 2022 — a steal for a player who led the team in goal scoring in the regular season and playoffs. Robertson tied for fourth in the league with 45 goals. He recorded 96 points in 82 games and went on to score a goal in each of his first five games of the playoffs. Robertson had a team-high 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) this past season. It was his third 40-goal season. The Stars drafted Robertson 39th overall in the second round of the 2017 draft. He has played all 328 of their regular-season games the past four seasons, scoring 365 points (155 goals and 210 assists) in that span. Click here to read more on this report from our partners at The Dallas Morning News. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less