Jason Robertson said he'd let his play do the talking-and he wasn’t bluffing.
The Dallas Stars winger continues to light it up this season, officially joining the NHL’s 30-goal club after scoring against the St. Louis Blues last Friday.
That puts him in elite company alongside Nathan MacKinnon (38 goals) and Connor McDavid (32 goals), two of the league’s most explosive offensive forces. But here’s the twist: while MacKinnon and McDavid are headed to the 2026 Winter Olympics, Robertson is staying home.
When Team USA announced its Olympic roster on January 2, Robertson was leading all American-born players in points-48 in 41 games. That’s not just good, that’s top-tier production. And yet, somehow, he didn’t make the cut.
Fast forward to January 25, and Robertson now sits just one point behind Jack Eichel for the American scoring lead. Eichel?
He’s on the Olympic roster. Robertson?
Still on the outside looking in.
Let’s break that down:
| Player | Goals | Points | Team USA Status |
|---|
| Jack Eichel | 19 | 61 | IN | | Jason Robertson | 30 | 60 | OUT |
| Kyle Connor | 23 | 58 | IN | | Zach Werenski | 19 | 55 | IN |
| Jake Guentzel | 24 | 54 | IN | | Matt Boldy | 28 | 53 | IN |
| Auston Matthews | 25 | 42 | IN | | Vincent Trocheck | 11 | 32 | IN |
| J.T. Miller | 13 | 32 | IN |
That’s not a typo-Robertson has outscored nearly everyone on that list, and he’s doing it with a scoring touch that’s among the best in the league. His 30 goals speak volumes, and he’s been a consistent threat every night for a Dallas team that leans heavily on his offense.
Naturally, the decision sparked a wave of confusion and frustration across social media. Fans didn’t just want Robertson on the team-they expected it. And while it’s easy to get caught up in the noise, it’s clear the omission stung for Robertson too.
“I thought that this year was different from last year,” he said after the roster was revealed. “Obviously last year, I didn’t think I was good enough.
Now, I think I did. It’s their choice and their decision, and that's it.”
That’s a measured response from a player who has every reason to feel slighted. This isn’t the first time he’s been passed over, either.
Last year, he was left off the roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, with the Olympic spotlight on the line, he’s been overlooked again.
But instead of venting, Robertson’s doing what elite players do-he’s letting his game speak for itself. And it’s speaking loud and clear.
“I think I just strive to be the best whenever I can be, and it so happened this year was the Olympics year,” Robertson said. “That’s not going to stop me from doing that the rest of the season.”
And it hasn’t. If anything, he’s ramped things up.
Robertson is playing like a man on a mission, and his numbers back it up. He’s not just scoring-he’s driving the offense, creating chances, and making life miserable for opposing defenses.
Every night, he’s proving that he’s not just Olympic-caliber-he’s one of the best American forwards in the game today.
Whether Team USA finds success in Milano without him remains to be seen. The roster, built by GM Bill Guerin, is loaded with talent, no doubt. But it’s hard to ignore the glaring omission of a player who’s been among the league’s most consistent offensive threats.
For now, Robertson isn’t waiting for validation. He’s carving out his own path in Dallas, stacking goals and points while keeping the Stars in the thick of the playoff race. And if he keeps this up, the conversation won’t be about why he was left off Team USA-it’ll be about how they ever thought they could leave him off in the first place.
Jason Robertson isn’t making noise with quotes or controversy. He’s doing it the hard way-on the ice, shift after shift, game after game. And in the end, that might be the loudest statement of all.