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...
Wild Face An Islanders Lineup Still Searching For Answers
Injuries have forced the Islanders back into a more familiar structure as they get ready to face the Wild, with Peter DeBoer opting for a traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen after recent absences along the lineup. The shakeup comes amid missing pieces up front and on defense, leaving New York to piece together a group that has not had much time to settle.
Kyle MacLean is back in the mix as the Islanders try to steady themselves after a recent loss, while Ilya Sorokin is set to handle the start in goal. The changes give New York a chance to reset, but they also underscore how much the roster is still searching for answers as it comes into Minnesota shorthanded and trying to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Trade Talk Just Took A More Serious Turn
The trade market around the league is starting to move from speculation to something much more real, and Minnesota has at least one name worth monitoring. While the Wild are weighing what to do next with Quinn Hughes and the ripple effects of his uncertain contract situation, the broader picture has become more fluid, with Toronto insisting no player is fully off limits and Vancouver exploring changes that could put more veterans in play.
The most striking development is in Detroit, where the captains status has added urgency to conversations that were already heating up. For Minnesota, that matters because the club is always watching for a chance to address its blue line or make a bigger swing if the right deal opens up, and the latest chatter suggests the market may be headed toward exactly that kind of moment. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Roster Shift Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
The Wild added another defensive piece to the organizational mix by claiming Cameron Crotty off waivers from Ottawa, a move that came as the Senators were trying to navigate a roster shuffle of their own. Ottawa had put Crotty on waivers Wednesday, and Minnesota stepped in to grab the blueliner as the Senators continue to sort through the ripple effects of a changing lineup.
For Ottawa, the timing is hardly ideal. Warren Foegele is headed to the sidelines for an extended stretch after a knee-on-knee hit against Vegas, while the club is also preparing to welcome Thomas Chabot back into the lineup against the Los Angeles Kings and finally get its full defensive group together. Even with that good news, the loss of Foegele leaves another hole to manage, and it underscores how quickly one roster move can complicate the next. [Read more 🡒]