The Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson haven’t reached a conclusion yet.
The restricted free agent, lingering in a sort-of-available state, seemed like he could get traded or sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
The earliest name put out there for this pursuit was the Ottawa Senators. After giving up Brady Tkachuk, it seemed like they might take a big swing for a player who last season had 45 goals and 51 assists.
Instead, it seems Robertson may not be going anywhere.
The latest report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicates that Robertson is planning to file for arbitration with Dallas.
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In essence, that would remove Robertson from the possibility of getting an offer sheet.
Why would Robertson do this? It gets him straight to unrestricted free agency next offseason.
If Robertson indeed is a free agent next offseason, he might get a record contract.
Robertson has indicated he will file for arbitration, which will also eliminate the possibility of an offer sheet for him
5 ET is official deadline. If eligible players do not go this route, teams have until tomorrow to decide if they will https://t.co/wtU7hbyuF5
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 5, 2026
In the meantime, Ottawa may have to look elsewhere for its next star.
The Senators were probably always going to move Tkachuk, regardless of what they thought was coming next. Not getting Robertson, though, will hurt a bit.