Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson submitted his salary arbitration paperwork before Sunday evening's deadline, closing the window for any opposing franchise to swoop in with an offer sheet and keeping the focus on a potential agreement with Dallas.
Robertson finished a four-year, $31 million contract and enters restricted free agency coming off a career-best 96 points. His 45 goals tied for the team lead, his 51 assists set a personal mark, and the league named him a First Team All-Star at left wing for his efforts across 82 games.
Filing for arbitration does not end negotiations. The Stars and Robertson can still agree to a multi-year contract before a hearing takes place. If they do not, an arbitrator will assign a one-year salary that sends Robertson to unrestricted free agency the following summer. Nill said his preference is to reach a longer arrangement.
A sign-and-trade transaction that would have sent Robertson to the Seattle Kraken for the seventh pick in the draft fell apart when Robertson declined to sign with Seattle, which had tabled an eight-year offer worth approximately $120 million.
The 5 p.m. ET cutoff saw 15 players file league-wide. The Stars' salary structure is among the league's most congested, with seven contracts carrying average annual values north of $8 million — a group headlined by Mikko Rantanen's $12 million hit and Thomas Harley's recently signed $10.587 million extension.
