The Dallas Stars are having a pretty decent start to the 2026-27 season, compiling a 10-5-2 record in their first 17 games. Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson are battling one another for the team lead in goals and scoring. It's something to expect from Robertson at this point in his career, as the 27-year-old has either led the Stars outright in scoring, which he's done three times since 2020, or finished second.
In the summer of 2026, news broke that Dallas and Seattle were working on a deal for the former 109-point player, but he axed it and signed a one-year deal, below market value, for $12 million. Now two months into the new season, all eyes are on the Stars, who either need to re-sign their star forward or ask for a king’s ransom if contract negotiations fall apart. That’s only one of the reasons why Bleacher Report ranked Robertson as the NHL’s third most valuable free agent on July 1, 2027.
Bleacher Report puts Robertson in elite company with Kucherov and Hughes
Just two weeks ago, the NHL community was shocked to learn that reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning, citing communication and respect for his desire for a change. The news comes ahead of the summer he’s eligible to become a free agent, when the two-time Stanley Cup champion could easily become the highest-paid player in history.
That leads us to Quinn Hughes, who requested out of Vancouver after winning the Norris Trophy and landing with the more competitive Minnesota Wild. For years, it’s become a well-known fact that Quinn wants to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke, in New Jersey, so most fans are just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for him to bolt from the Wild. Both Kucherov and Hughes are cornerstone players who win awards and scoring races, even though one has been more fortunate with championship rings.
These assessments bring us to Robertson, who has been the Stars’ best player since breaking out in his rookie campaign. In eight seasons, he’s already collected three 40-goal campaigns and has become only the fourth player in franchise history to score 100 points in a season. Now that he’s got Rantanen as a running buddy, he's routinely producing at a 90-point pace. When the time comes, Robertson will be looking for a long-term deal at max value, or close to it. In Anaheim, the Ducks paid 21-year-old Leo Carlsson $18 million a year, and the young Swedish forward has never reached 30 goals in a single season.
If the going rate for a 29-goal scorer is $18 million, where does Robertson’s salary start? Is Kucherov worth double that with his resume? Considering the NHL salary cap is rising, there are going to be some crazy contracts handed out in the near future, and the free agency class of 2027 may only be the beginning.
That’s why whether or not the Stars can lock up Robertson will determine how they finish the decade and begin the next. It's been more than a quarter century since Dallas hoisted the Stanley Cup, and the Stars have only returned to the Final twice.
Just like a similar situation in Edmonton, where the Oilers continue to come up short with generational talent, the Stars need to win something while Robertson is young and producing at more than a point-per-game average. From 2023 to 2025, Dallas lost in three consecutive Western Conference Finals, but the team must break through that glass ceiling and get a real shot at winning its second Stanley Cup.
There’s a reason why Bleacher Report has Robertson near the top of the list: he’s a game-breaker who could help the Stars achieve their Stanley Cup aspirations or help another contender get over the hump. For Stars fans, they sure hope it ain’t the latter.
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