The contract standoff between Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars may not reach the arbitrator after all. A day after his hearing was scheduled for July 25, there is growing belief around the league that the two sides will settle before that date — with either a new contract or a trade, according to The Hockey Writers’ July 13 rumor roundup.
Stars insider Bruce LeVine reported Monday that he expects the saga to conclude before the hearing, one way or the other. Robertson’s stated preference is to stay in Dallas, per the same reporting, but he is said to be willing to accept a move to Pittsburgh if the Stars go the trade route. If negotiations collapse entirely, the Penguins, Flyers, Blackhawks and Red Wings are all believed to have interest.
The stakes on both sides explain the urgency. Robertson is coming off a 96-point season, and an arbitration award would buy Dallas only a short window: a one-year decision would put him a single season from unrestricted free agency, with no guarantee he re-engages on a long-term deal next summer. For a roster built to win now, letting its leading scorer play out a bridge year into the open market is the worst available outcome — which is why the front office has spent the summer working every alternative.
Robertson has already shown he will use his leverage. The Stars and Seattle agreed on trade compensation in June, per earlier reporting from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and others, and the deal died when Robertson declined to sign an extension with the Kraken. Any team trading for him now knows the acquisition only works if he agrees to stay, which narrows the realistic market to destinations he approves.
The next 11 days are the window. Either Dallas closes the gap on a number that keeps its best winger in Victory Green, or the most consequential trade of the NHL offseason gets made under deadline pressure.
For fantasy purposes, Robertson remains a top-20 overall pick wherever this lands — 96 points on a contender’s first line and top power-play unit is elite four-category production. The situation is worth monitoring into draft season mainly for linemate context: a settlement in Dallas keeps his environment intact, while a trade would reset his deployment and could nudge his goal-assist split depending on the new team’s shooters.
