Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill breaks silence on Jason Robertson's contract

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill broke his silence on forward Jason Robertson's contract and confirmed his intentions after weeks of rumors that had him away from the team.

Speaking on NHL Network's "NHL First Shift" with EJ Hradek, Nill confirmed that his goal is to keep Robertson, 26, for the long term.

"We started discussions with Jason last summer, so we've kept in touch, and in the end, we decided, let's table this," he said.

"Let's go have a good year, let's have a good playoff, and we'll make this work. He's a big part of our team. He's one of the leading scorers in the league, and he's really in the prime of his career. He's a big part of our team. So a priority for us is to get him signed this summer and move on."

Jason Robertson has one year left as an RFA before hitting the UFA market

Robertson still has one more year as an RFA (restricted free agent) before he can become a UFA (unrestricted free agent), so next summer is the crucial moment to define his future.

Dallas acquired forward Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline last year. Rantanen, 29, signed an eight-year contract at $12 million AAV at that time.

This matter is significant because, last summer, there were concerns about whether the Stars could afford to pay Robertson a similar salary without exceeding the franchise's salary cap. Consequently, this led to rumors regarding the future of the forward from Arcadia, California. 

Dallas' front office has already made it clear: their priority is to sign Robertson to a long-term contract. All eyes will have to wait and see if they are successful.

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