The arbitration picture around Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Jason Robertson is starting to take shape, and the cleanest path may be the one that keeps two of those cases from ever reaching a hearing.
Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff said on TSN Radio in Montreal this past Monday that Zegras and Drysdale in Philadelphia feel more like deals waiting to be finished than cases headed for a showdown.
“Yeah, Zegras and Drysdale, I think that that’s maybe just more of a, maybe just more of like, what’s the word I’m looking for? Like, just to prolong this thing because they were not extended, qualify, or they were not exactly quite sure they’re handling that.
But as far as Zegras goes, Pat Brisson is working on the Dylan Larkin situation and the Elias Patterson situation. He is the former agent of General Manager Danny Briere.
I think there’s a good relationship there. I think that ultimately that deal comes in seven to eight years, $9 million for Trevor Zegras.
And as Dave Pagnotta reported last week, he’s hearing four years, $6.25 million or in that general range for Jamie Drysdale. I believe that ultimately gets done.
I don’t think those deals ultimately get to arbitration. I think they will be resolved before they reach that point.
As for Jason Robertson, I mean that’s a very peculiar situation with Dallas. Obviously, they unload the (Ilya) Lyubushkin and Mavrik Bourque to the Nashville Predators on July 1st last week to try and free up some salary and roster spots to get done.
Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars are Heading to Arbitration
I mean, Robertson is not only being picky with his ultimate destination of wanting to stay in Dallas and turning down a $ 15 million-a-year contract from the Seattle Kraken, but he’s also drawing a hard line, and clearly wants to be paid at least decently more than his compatriot, Mikko Rantanen.
So I wonder if that goes there, but I don’t know, guys, it seems like the Dallas era with Jim Nill, who I think has historically been probably one of the better GMs over the last decade or so, it feels like it may slowly be starting to come unravelled there in Texas.”
NHLRumors.com noted that Anaheim’s decision to match Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet changes the Flyers’ situation, since they no longer have to account for $18 million on their books. That should give Philadelphia more room to get Zegras and Drysdale signed before any hearing.
Robertson is the one who could still end up in arbitration. The Stars want to keep him long-term, and the hearing would at least let both sides keep talking without the pressure of an offer sheet hanging over the process. But there’s also real risk in that room, because once things get argued in arbitration, some of that damage can linger.
For Dallas, there are a lot of possible outcomes still on the table.
In Other News...
Texas Stars Schedule Just Put One Big Prospect Question In Focus
The Texas Stars newly released 2026-27 schedule gives their fans a first real look at how next season could unfold, and it comes with a little extra history baked in. Among the dates and travel stretches is a rematch with the Hershey Bears, a name that still carries some weight in Cedar Park because of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals meeting between the clubs.
For Dallas, the bigger takeaway may be how the affiliates season now frames Emil Hemming. The former first-round pick is one of the most closely watched players on the roster heading into the year, and the schedule at least puts a timeline on when those next steps will start to matter in a real way. Whether Texas can turn that prospect buzz into something more tangible will be one of the more interesting threads to follow all winter. [Read more 🡒]