Could Jason Robertson Really Leave Dallas? My 4 Most Realistic Landing Spots

Jason Robertson is a superstar. There is no other way to put it. He has quietly become one of the NHL most underrated players, helping propel the Dallas Stars forward while proving year after year that he can elevate his game when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.

Yet there is one major issue. Jason Robertson’s four year, $7.75 million per season contract expired at the end of the 2025/26 season, making him a restricted free agent.

Ordinarily, this would not be a huge concern. However, two major factors have complicated negotiations. 

The first is that the Dallas Stars currently have just $9.26 million in cap space, making it difficult to fit Robertson’s next contract under the salary cap without moving money elsewhere. The second is that Robertson camp is reportedly using Leon Draisaitl’s eight year, $14 million per season contract as a benchmark during negotiations. 

There have also been reports suggesting Robertson is seeking a long term contract worth around $15 million annually.

Jason Robertson, the 6 foot 3, 26 year old American winger, has quietly established himself as one of the premier forwards in the NHL since breaking out in 2021. 

This past season he recorded 96 points in 82 games and has consistently produced at  a 45 goal and 51 assist pace while playing against the opposition best players.

Robertson’sname has been circulating in trade rumours dating back to last season. 

There has been growing speculation that the Stars and Robertson may struggle to reach an agreement, opening the door to the possibility of a blockbuster trade.

At this point, everything remains speculation. However, several NHL insiders believe there is a legitimate chance Robertson could be moved if the two sides cannot come to terms on a new contract.

 If that were to happen, it would almost certainly be through a sign and trade, allowing the acquiring team to lock Robertson into a long term extension immediately.

As you can see in the player card from HockeyAlchemy below, Robertson’s impact extends far beyond traditional statistics.

 He ranks in the 99th percentile in Wins Above Replacement, meaning he has provided more overall value than 99 percent of NHL players. 

He also ranks in the 99th percentile in both even strength offence and power play offence, further reinforcing why he is considered one of the league elite offensive talents.

Top 4 Landing spots

For this section I will be detailing the top 4 landing spots in my opinion, some of these may even be teams that are off your radar!

The first team that I expect to sign Jason Robertson is, of course, his current team, the Dallas Stars.

Although they only have around $9.26 million in cap space, I still believe Dallas is the favourite to get a deal done. 

At the end of the day, you simply do not let a player of Robertson’s calibre walk away if there is any possible way to avoid it.

If that means trading Tyler Seguin, who is entering the final year of his eight year, $9.85 million contract, then I think that is something the Stars seriously have to consider. 

They have other contracts they could move as well, but the reality is that Robertson is simply too valuable.

He is only 26 years old, consistently scores around 30 goals, puts up close to 80 points every season and has proven that his game translates to the playoffs. 

Players like that are incredibly difficult to replace. You can draft well, develop prospects and make smart trades, but finding another Jason Robertson is much easier said than done.

The second team on my list is the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights recently traded away young winger Pavel Dorofeyev, and if there is one thing we have learned about Vegas over the last several years, it is that they are never afraid to make a blockbuster move.

Jack Eichel. Noah Hanifin. Tomas Hertl. Mitch Marner. Rasmus Andersson.

Every single year people say, “There is no way Vegas can fit another superstar under the cap.” Then somehow always do.

The biggest issue here is that Vegas only has around $4.63 million in cap space, meaning they would have to move multiple contracts before even thinking about signing Robertson.

Yet one thing I have learned about Vegas is to never count them out when it comes to collecting superstars like Infinity Stones.

 It almost feels like whenever an elite player becomes available, somehow the Golden Knights are involved.

My third team is the Minnesota Wild, who have reportedly been on Robertson’s list of preferred destinations.

To be fair, why would he not want to go there. They could genuinely form a superteam to hopefully stop the Sharks from forever running the league. 

You would be joining a team led by Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber while also playing behind one of the better defensive groups in the league. 

Minnesota has quietly built a very balanced roster over the last few years and already has strong goaltending, something Robertson has been fortunate enough to play behind in Dallas with Jake Oettinger.

If the Wild believe they are one superstar away from becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, then Jason Robertson is exactly the type of player they should be targeting.

Let me know your thoughts down below.

The last team that I have is the Utah Mammoth.

Ever since the new ownership group took over, this organization has quietly become one of the biggest dark horses in the NHL. It almost feels like they have completely transformed from the Coyotes who used to never even be in the running for the playoffs let alone free agents. 

They are building through their young players, making smart trades and surrounding that young core with pieces that actually fit their timeline. They are not trying to sneak into the playoffs for one season like some, they are trying to build something that can compete for the next decade.

Then there is the cap space.

OVER TWENTY ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

Yes, I had to put that in capital letters because it is honestly ridiculous.

Unlike Dallas and Vegas, Utah does not have to sit there wondering how they are going to make the money work. They already have the money. They already have one of the brightest young cores in hockey. Now all they need is that one superstar to tie everything together.

That is where Jason Robertson comes in.

A 26 year old superstar entering the prime of his career joining a team whose best players are still years away from reaching theirs. 

Not only would Robertson immediately become the face of the franchise alongside Utah young stars, but he would also instantly give them a legitimate first line game breaker that every Stanley Cup contender needs.

The thing I like most about this fit is that Robertson would not be joining an aging roster that has one or two years left to compete.

 He would be joining a team that could realistically grow together over the next five to eight years. By the time some of Utah younger players fully hit their prime, Robertson would still be in his.

If I am Jason Robertson and Dallas cannot find a way to make the money work, I would seriously be looking at Utah.

 They have the cap space, they have an exciting future, they have a fan base that is fully behind this new era of hockey, and they have an ownership group that has shown they are willing to invest in winning.

To me, the Mammoth are not just a dark horse. If Robertson actually reaches the market, I think they become one of the most dangerous teams in the race. 

If they are willing to pay him what he is reportedly looking for, I genuinely believe Utah has a real chance to land one of the biggest free agents the NHL has seen in years.

Sources used throughout this article include Elite Prospects and the HockeyAlchemy. Credit goes to these sources for the statistics and, draft information, and visuals used to support the analysis in this article.


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