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Jason Robertson’s Future With Stars Uncertain as Internal Ceiling Set

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 4:37 PM ET

The contract standoff between the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson has been an overlooked issue this summer, but it could be one of the biggest storylines of the upcoming season.

On the DLLS Stars Podcast, insider Jeff Marek revealed that Dallas has set a hard internal ceiling for forward salaries at $12 million annually, matching Mikko Rantanen’s deal that was just signed. “I don’t think Jim Nill is going to put the Stars in a situation where they get… ‘Marner’d’ — where Robertson plays the year out and walks,” Marek said, hinting that if a deal can’t be reached below that threshold, a trade could be on the table before the deadline.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, talks are expected to resume now that September has arrived, with Robertson eligible to become a restricted free agent in July. But pressure is mounting as the season approaches.

Robertson is not someone the Dallas Stars want to lose. That said, there has been trade chatter and contract issues floating around him all summer. If the organization has told him that the best he can do is what they just gave Rantanen, it will be intriguing to see how he responds. Does he understand that, historically, Rantanen has outperformed him? Or, will he be bothered by the new guy setting a ceiling in a rising salary cap era? It makes sense that the team hesitant to break their salary structure, even with the salary cap rising next year. That doesn’t mean Robertson will play along.

For now, the situation remains fluid. Dallas wants Robertson locked up long term, and Robertson wants to stay — but unless one side budges, this could become one of the NHL’s most-watched contract sagas of 2025.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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