Jason Robertson's one-year deal doesn't guarantee the Rangers a shot next summer

New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury was busy trying to improve the roster heading into the 2026-27 season. They notably bolstered their defense with the additions of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and brought in a legitimate scorer in winger Pavel Dorofeyev, all of which were made by trades. They did make a sneaky good signing in the form of Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Even with these additions and regardless of how the upcoming season goes, the Rangers will undoubtedly be trying to land a legitimate star player at some point in the near future. That was the evident plan this summer entering last season, but that all changed when all of the stars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov all signed contract extensions. But there was hope that, eventually, a young star or one of the superstars in the league, would want out, allowing the Rangers to strike.

On Tuesday night, the NHL world received the news that the Dallas Stars and winger Jason Robertson reached a settlement on a one-year, $12 million contract before their scheduled arbitration hearing this upcoming Saturday. That means instead of a long-term extension, Robertson will hit unrestricted free agency next summer.

This is certainly good news for the Rangers, right? Well, not necessarily.

Robertson still has plenty of reasons to stay in Dallas

Sure, any top player hitting the open market is good news for the Rangers. Even though they added Dorofeyev and Bjorkstrand, they still have a need for forwards, especially after trading away Vincent Trocheck, who still had years left on his contract.

So, surely Robertson would be in play for the Rangers, right? Well, about that.

Entering this offseason, it was well known that while the Stars wanted to keep Robertson on the roster, they couldn't afford a long-term contract. They were in a serious cap crunch. That's why they had to trade away restricted free agent Mavrik Bourque to the Nashville Predators, where he signed a six-year, $33 million contract. So the Stars were able to convince Robertson to stay on a $12 million salary for the upcoming season, essentially punting contract negotiations until Jan. 1, 2027.

It's important to note that the Stars will have more ample cap space entering the 2027-28 season. Let's not forget, the cap is rising every year in the NHL. Plus, they'll have Tyler Seguin's contract finally coming off of the books. Puckpedia projects that the Stars will have over $41 million in cap space entering next offseason. That gives them plenty of room to lock in Robertson to a lucrative, long-term contract.

Let's not forget, Robertson did have a contract offer from the Seattle Kraken in a potential sign-and-trade, which was an eight-year deal with an annual salary of $15 million. Yet, Robertson rejected it. It could be that Robertson simply didn't want to play in Seattle (much like Artemi Panarin declared by vetoing a trade earlier this year). Or, it could be that Robertson wants to stay in Dallas, and is waiting for the right time for the team to have enough cap space to put pen to paper.

For the Rangers, getting a player like Robertson would be a tremendous help. Sure, they may have a plethora of wingers in their top six with Dorofeyev, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault, but with a player like Robertson, you add him if you are to get the chance.

The Rangers have to become a destination again

The Rangers have received a wake up call when it comes to their appeal as a landing spot for the stars. The team tried to acquire Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, as their interest has been known for years. Yet, the Rangers weren't on Tkachuk's list of preferred destinations. The same goes for Dylan Larkin, as they weren't on his trade wishlist either.

This upcoming season will be important for the Rangers. Getting back to the playoffs is their main goal. But, they also need to show they have the pieces to contend, which in turn, would interest top players to join them.

While Robertson would be a no-brainer target for the Rangers, it's not necessarily a given he wants to leave Dallas.

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This article was originally published on bluelinestation.com as Jason Robertson's one-year deal doesn't guarantee the Rangers a shot next summer.