Dallas Stars Face a Hard Cap Reality With Jason Robertson’s Next Contract

The Dallas Stars have a problem that a lot of teams would love to have. They just can’t seem to make it work financially with their young star.

Jason Robertson wants a new deal that would make him the highest paid player on the team. And according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Stars just can’t stomach that number right now. The ask is reportedly north of what Mikko Rantanen makes, which is $12.5 million a year through 2033. It’s not that Robertson isn’t worth it. It’s that the cap math doesn’t work.

Dallas has about $9.2 million in cap space to work with, per PuckPedia. That’s not even close to enough for Robertson’s asking price. And the roster is already loaded with big money deals. Rantanen’s contract kicks in next season. Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, and Tyler Seguin all carry significant cap hits too. The Stars didn’t build this team expecting to pay Robertson top dollar. But now the cap is rising, and Robertson’s camp knows that.

Offer sheets and the Sabres

The threat of an offer sheet is real here. Robertson is a restricted free agent, so another team could swoop in with a big offer and dare Dallas to match. The Stars would rather trade him than lose him for nothing in that scenario. According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Dallas wants a return similar to what they gave up to get Rantanen, which included Logan Stankoven plus picks and prospects.

The Buffalo Sabres keep popping up in trade rumors. They have two first-round picks in this year’s draft, including the fourth overall pick. That kind of draft capital could make a deal happen before Friday night. The Sabres have been hunting for a top-line scorer for years. Robertson would be that guy.

LeBrun said deadlines force teams to show their real hand. July 1 is a deadline. The draft is a deadline too. If Robertson is still a Star after this weekend, the odds probably favor him staying long term. But if Dallas makes a move before the fourth pick gets announced, everyone will know exactly what happened.

Robertson reportedly wants to stay in Dallas. He’s said as much. The team has been knocking on the door every year. But feelings don’t fix cap problems. And right now, that gap between what Robertson wants and what the Stars can offer might be too big to bridge.