Stars' Jason Robertson is criminally underpaid

Dallas forward Jason Robertson signed a four-year, $31 million contract as a restricted free agent ahead of the NHL season but his performances and point scoring are already making that deal look very favourable for the Stars.

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I did mention the Robertson brothers, we should talk about Jason Robertson, who is very much the better of the two brothers. I know a lot of people in Toronto want to know what's up with Nick, but Jason-- four year deal, 7.75 mil, AAV signed.

He held out during camp, and he got a little bit of a bridge deal, a little bit of an extended bridge deal due to his playing, like he's in a contract year. How do you all feel about Jason Robertson? He seems like he's criminally underpaid. Is it time that we start talking about Jason Robertson, Hart Trophy candidate? I think so. All in agreement-- not so loud, people.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: I mean, he-- go ahead.

OMAR: Go-- go, Avry. I was going to say, no, he's--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Go on, Avry.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: I was kind of shocked. [LAUGHS] The way he's playing right now in Dallas, I mean, the man's got a shot. If he keeps his pace up, he definitely has a shot. He should be in consideration. He should absolutely be a finalist. At the start of the year, I wouldn't have said that.

But he might be a guy who might challenge McDavid and Draisaitl for that-- and Matthews for that. I would like that. He's-- and speaking of payment, yo, it goes to show that hockey's money is so messed up. Like, he should-- any other sport in the world, and he'd be making $25 million a year. That goes to show how hockey's salary cap is so broken.

SAM CHANG: He's currently making less money than JT Miller. Oh, not currently, sorry-- next year. Next year, he will make less. This year, he--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Stop bring up JT Miller. Stop making JT Miller happen. It's not going to happen.

SAM CHANG: I'm going to be stabbed.

[LAUGHTER]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh my god.

OMAR: I think-- the thing that's interesting is that, like, JT Miller is, like, as far as the contract goes, he's like-- he's like the modern day Max Pacioretty. Remember when Pacioretty was just like lighting goalies up? And then you looked at his contract, and he's, like-- he's was only making--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: 4.5 mil.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Well, it was like 4.5 mil.

OMAR: I think--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He was, like, on the best bargain deal in the league.

OMAR: I think we're going to look at Jason Robertson's deal at the end when he needs that extension and say, he's going to put up a whole bunch of points, a whole bunch of goals, and we're going to see him have a whole bunch of production, but with making this deal that it's, like, how is he not making like double digits or like a high 9 or something like that? And again, I'll say, selfishly, I think it's great that we have a player, a top player, in the league that looks different or--

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Yes.

OMAR: "Different," right? Now we're showing that diversity, showing that, hey, it's not only--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: That's a good point.

OMAR: --a particular type of player that can be a star producer in the league. So I think that's great as well.