FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said Wednesday that Dallas has had no extension talks with Jason Robertson’s camp. Under league rules, the two sides cannot talk until Jan. 1.
“No, no. We weren’t allowed to talk until January 1st, so there’s been nothing,” Nill said.
Nill has talked with Robertson and seen him around the facility.
“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.”
Jason Robertson’s Arbitration Filing And One-Year Deal
Robertson filed for salary arbitration on July 5. He signed a one-year, $12 million contract on July 21, which avoided a hearing, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. His previous contract was a four-year deal with a $7.75 million cap hit.
Earlier in the summer, Nill acknowledged that Dallas had a sign-and-trade in place to send Robertson to the Seattle Kraken for the seventh overall pick, The Associated Press reported.
Robertson led Dallas with 45 goals, 51 assists, and 96 points in 82 games last season, and he was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team. Dallas drafted him 39th overall in 2017. He has 213 goals, 277 assists, and 490 points in 456 regular-season games.
Jim Nill On Thomas Harley After Zach Werenski Trade Fell Through
On July 1, ESPN reported that Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski used his no-movement clause to veto a trade to Dallas. Multiple reports identified Thomas Harley as the centerpiece. Nill said he talked with Harley when that happened and again once 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.
This season is the first of Harley’s eight-year, $84.696 million contract. Last season he had 6 goals, 30 assists, and 36 points in 70 games. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said earlier Wednesday that coaches are not involved in contract decisions and that his conversations with both players are about hockey.
Camp opens Thursday at Comerica Center. Dallas opens the regular season against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 2 at American Airlines Center at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.
