Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said Wednesday there have been no extension talks with Jason Robertson’s camp, and he pointed to league rules as the reason the conversation hasn’t started yet.
“No, no. We weren’t allowed to talk until January 1st, so there’s been nothing,” Nill said.
Robertson and the Stars are operating in a waiting game for now, but Nill said the situation isn’t hanging over the team. He said he has spoken with Robertson and seen him around the facility, and that the forward isn’t dwelling on the contract side of things.
“It’s a different world now,” Nill explained. “And the players, I don’t think they’re in the room sitting there thinking about it.
I’ve talked to Jason. I’ve seen him around.
He’s not worried about it. I’m not worried about it.
You just move on. It’s today’s sports environment.
It’s the world we live in. And I think the players adjust to it.
I think as managers, we’ve adjusted to it. And the coaches adjust to it.
So you just move on, and now the job is to go play hockey.”
Robertson filed for salary arbitration on July 5, then signed a one-year, $12 million contract on July 21 to avoid a hearing. That deal puts him on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Before that, he had been on a four-year contract with a $7.75 million cap hit.
The summer also included reports that Dallas had a sign-and-trade in place to send Robertson to the Seattle Kraken for the seventh overall pick, according to The Associated Press.
Robertson’s production last season was right at the center of Dallas’ offense. He led the team with 45 goals, 51 assists and 96 points in 82 games, and he earned a spot on the NHL’s First All-Star Team. The Stars drafted him 39th overall in 2017, and his career totals now stand at 213 goals, 277 assists and 490 points in 456 regular-season games.
Nill also addressed another offseason storyline involving Thomas Harley after a reported trade for Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski fell through. ESPN reported on July 1 that Werenski used his no-movement clause to block a move to Dallas, and multiple reports said Harley was the key piece in the proposed deal.
Nill said he spoke with Harley when the situation unfolded and again after Harley returned to Dallas.
“I’ve talked to Thomas. I talked to him when the situation happened, and when he came back here, I’ve already talked to him, and we move on,” Nill said.
“And once again, I get back to today’s media world, social media world. Things are getting out.
It’s the new environment we live in, and you just learn to adapt with it, and that’s part of pro sports now.”
“He’s a big part of our team, big part of it,” Nill continued.
Harley is in the first season of his eight-year, $84.696 million contract after posting 6 goals, 30 assists and 36 points in 70 games last season.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said earlier Wednesday that coaches are not part of contract discussions and that his conversations with Robertson and Harley are strictly about hockey.
Dallas opens camp Thursday at Comerica Center, and the regular season begins Oct. 2 against the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.
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For Dallas fans, the bigger picture is how common this kind of move has become across the league, with the Stars among several clubs making PTO signings of their own this time of year. It is the sort of transaction that rarely dominates headlines, but can still matter once the games start and injuries, roster battles, and camp performances begin sorting out who sticks. There is always a layer of intrigue with these deals, especially when a team gives a veteran a familiar kind of opportunity and leaves open the question of whether he can turn it into something more. [Read more 🡒]
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Tyler Seguins Return Just Became A Huge Stars Camp Story
Tyler Seguins path back into the Stars lineup took a meaningful step forward as Dallas opened training camp, with general manager Jim Nill saying the veteran center has been cleared for contact and full participation. Seguin is coming off the ACL injury he suffered in December, and the update gives the Stars a far better sense of where one of their longest-tenured pillars stands as they begin sorting out roles for the new season.
Coach Glen Gulutzan said Seguin will be ready to play when he feels prepared, a reflection of both the work he has put in and the leadership he still brings to the room. There is still some uncertainty around exactly when hell be back in game action, but for a team that leans on him on and off the ice, simply getting him through camp without restriction is a major development. [Read more 🡒]