Why Jason Robertson Must Follow His Brother's Footsteps And Avoid Arbitration With Dallas Stars
One of the two Robertson brothers steered clear of NHL arbitration on Tuesday.
Left winger Nick Robertson signed for two years at $3.25 million annually with the Pittsburgh Penguins to avoid meeting with an arbitrator on July 28, but he and Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson look to be on a significantly different financial path.
Jason Robertson's arbitration date is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, according to PuckPedia. He's set to command well over $10 million annually on his next contract.
Penguins, Nicholas Robertson Come To Terms On Two-Year Deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins locked up Robertson, acquired on Jul. 1, for $3.75 million over the next two seasons.
Nick Robertson got his major raise on his previous $1.825-million cap hit despite his relatively modest offensive totals of 16 goals and 32 points this past season. The Penguins had about $16.9 million in salary cap space, so they could afford Nick Robertson's raise.
Dallas is in a similar but different situation. Jason Robertson will also get a major raise, but we're not talking even remotely the same salary as his younger brother.
The Stars have about $10.6 million in cap space, and Robertson is expected to get much more than that on his next contract. ESPN reported in late June that he could be seeking upward of $14 million annually.
Ultimately, it's our prediction that Jason Robertson will sign with the Stars before July 25. The arbitration process can get ugly, and Robertson already reportedly turned down a contract offer from the Seattle Kraken in a potential trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. There's no benefit from making their saga even uglier.
Jason Robertson is likely to hit the jackpot in a way that Nick Robertson has not yet, but they're both taking a step forward in their careers. It's up to Jason Robertson and the Stars to make sure that step forward doesn't involve meeting with an arbitrator.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 5:03 PM.