Jason Robertson’s future in Dallas is starting to take shape, but not nearly enough to call it settled.
The Stars winger is on track to hit unrestricted free agency this summer when the one-year, $12MM deal he signed in July expires. Under the league’s CBA rules, Dallas can’t put a contract extension in front of him before January, which leaves the team waiting for a window to open.
Pierre LeBrun said on TSN’s Insider Trading that GM Jim Nill is hoping to restart extension talks with Robertson’s camp, led by Octagon’s Andy Scott. LeBrun also reported that Robertson “wants to stay in Dallas” and “loves” being a Star, while the team “want[s] to finally figure this out.”
Even with that shared interest, there’s no guarantee the two sides get to the finish line.
What is clear is that Robertson is positioned for a major payday wherever he ends up. At 27, he’d be one of the most coveted forwards in free agency in years if he reaches the market.
He owns a career high of 46 goals and 109 points and has been right around a point per game every season since 2021-22. Last year he piled up 45 goals and 96 points, then added five goals and eight points in six playoff games.
Through 12 games this season, he has five goals and 13 points. His camp could point to Kirill Kaprizov’s $17MM AAV with the Minnesota Wild as a benchmark.
Elsewhere, Arthur Kaliyev is taking a different route in search of his next NHL deal. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the 25-year-old has signed an AHL PTO with the Iowa Wild.
Kaliyev has more than 200 NHL games on his résumé, but he lost his hold on an NHL roster spot during the 2025-26 season and is now trying to work his way back with a strong run at the AHL level. The 2019 second-round pick still flashed major scoring touch last season, leading the AHL with 40 goals and finishing with 68 points in 70 games for the Belleville Senators.
Iowa could use that kind of offense; the club currently ranks 24th in the AHL in goals scored.
In Chicago, Alex Vlasic has been listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings because of an illness, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. If he can’t go, the Blackhawks will have to rework the blue line without the defenseman who has stepped into the No. 1 role with Bowen Byram sidelined.
Vlasic also handles the team’s top penalty-killing duties. Should he miss the matchup, 23-year-old Ethan Del Mastro would likely come into the lineup.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Could Get Pulled Into A Pricey Young Winger Chase
A young winger with some upside is suddenly on the trade radar, and the Blackhawks have been mentioned among the teams in the mix. Washington is exploring options on Ivan Miroshnichenko, and his agent has been contacting multiple clubs, with interest said to be coming mostly from the Western Conference. For Chicago, it is the kind of conversation that fits a rebuilding timeline in theory, even if it immediately raises the question of how aggressive the front office wants to be for another player still early in his NHL path.
The wrinkle is the price. The Capitals are believed to want to move Miroshnichenko out of the Eastern Conference, and the early asking range being discussed is steep enough to make any interested team pause. If the Blackhawks stay involved, it would likely come down to how much they are willing to pay for potential versus patience, especially with other clubs circling and the bidding not sounding modest. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Blue Line Suddenly Faces A Problem Ahead Of Road Trip
A road trip can expose a thin blue line in a hurry, and the Blackhawks are suddenly staring at that possibility with two of their left-shot defensemen in question. Head coach Jeff Blashill said Alex Vlasic is ill and questionable for Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, a development that comes after he missed the morning skate and leaves Chicago juggling its back end before the trip really gets rolling.
Bowen Byrams situation only adds to the uncertainty. He remains sidelined with an upper-body injury and is also uncertain for the next game against the Boston Bruins, leaving the Blackhawks without much clarity on how their defense will look in the near term. For a team trying to get through a stretch on the road, the timing is far from ideal. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Have An Early Problem Kyle Davidson May Need To Fix
Through the first 12 games, the Blackhawks have looked like a team that can skate, but not always one that can consistently make life difficult on opponents. The numbers behind that impression are stark enough to raise an early concern: Chicago sits near the bottom of the league in both hits and blocked shots, a sign that the roster still lacks some of the grit and edge that tends to travel well over an 82-game season.
For a team trying to build a tougher identity without blowing up its plans, that leaves Kyle Davidson with a familiar kind of balancing act. The Blackhawks can hope for more bite from the players already in the room, but the article also points to possible outside help in Paul Cotter and Nick Seeler, two names that could add some needed physicality without forcing a major investment. [Read more 🡒]