FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Jason Robertson is happy to be with the Dallas Stars for another season, and not too concerned about the process that led to a $12 million contract to avoid a salary arbitration hearing only weeks after the team had a deal to trade him.
“What happened from then to now is, kind of doesn't matter anymore,” Robertson said Wednesday, his 27th birthday and a day after signing the one-year deal. “Just want to focus on having a great summer this year and coming into camp ready to go and trying to win a (Stanley) Cup.”
Robertson has averaged more than a point a game in his six full NHL seasons, all with the Stars — 490 points (213 goals and 277 assists) in 456 regular-season games.
He was their leading scorer with 96 points (45 goals and 51 assists) last season, and had five goals with three assists in six playoff games. His third 40-goal season wrapped up a $31 million, four-year deal before going into this offseason as a restricted free agent.
Without a contract extension, Robertson next summer could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time.
“At the end of the day, it's a business for them, for me, everything. I don't know their future plans, they don't know our future plans either,” Robertson said on a Zoom call after skating in Michigan. “I’m sure we’re just both content to getting it done, having now the time to re-evaluate both of our futures.”
General manager Jim Nill said the Stars hope to reach a long-term extension, though the earliest they could sign such a deal would be Jan. 1. He said they would start working on it before then with a player he has called a franchise cornerstone.
“That’s our plan,” Nill said earlier in the day during an availability at team headquarters. “We’re happy he wants to be a Dallas Star. We want him to be a Dallas Star, and have those discussions. ... We want to make this work.”
Nill said different scenarios were discussed during these negotiations, including long- and short-term deals. He said Robertson's representatives made it clear throughout the process that the forward wanted to be with the Stars.
"This was probably the best fit for this time,“ Nill said of the one-year contract.
Nill and Robertson both acknowledged their desire to get a deal done and avoid having to go through an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Saturday.
Robertson, the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, has played in all 328 regular-season games the past four seasons. He has scored 365 points (155 goals and 210 assists) in that span.
His $12 million salary for 2026-27 will match forward Mikko Rantanen for the highest on the Stars. Rantanen just completed the first season of the $96 million, eight-year extension he signed to facilitate the deadline trade that brought him to Dallas from Carolina in March 2025.
The Stars had a sign-and-trade deal in place during last month's draft to send Robertson to Seattle for the seventh overall pick. While Robertson couldn’t veto that trade, he didn't agree to a long-term deal with the Kraken — a reported $120 million over eight years ($15 million a season).
With veteran Tyler Seguin going into the final season of his contract that pays $9.85 million annually, and the NHL salary cap also increasing by almost that much next offseason, the Stars would be in a much better position to extend Robertson than they were now.
“I’m happy to happy to be playing with them starting in September,” Robertson said, “and see where it goes.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson looks on before play resumes against the Calgary Flames during the first period of an NHL hockey game, April 7, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
FILE - Dallas Stars manager Jim Nill smiles before speaking to reporters during a news conference at the NHL hockey team's practice facility in Frisco, Texas, June 8, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
FILE - Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson skates with the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Dec. 5, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Torrential rains caused flash floods in West Virginia that inundated homes and businesses, washed out bridges and led to numerous water rescues. The state's governor said that some residents were unaccounted for as search operations continued Wednesday.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey sent hundreds of National Guard members to the hardest-hit areas in the northern part of the state and declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties Tuesday night. The state Division of Natural Resources has been involved in 85 rescues, he said, and 19 National Guard and state police helicopters were either out on rescue missions or standing by if needed.
Three shelters were opened Wednesday that housed a total of more than 100 residents, the governor said at a news conference.
Asked if anyone was unaccounted for, Morrisey replied: “We don’t have an exact number but we are concerned about fatalities,” adding that “as soon as we have more information” officials will provide details.
“This is a time for West Virginians to come together to do everything possible, not only to pray for all those who are affected, but we’re going to need a lot of help in the days and weeks ahead,” he said. “Let’s help these communities rebuild.”
Lars Dalseide, Morrisey’s communications director, said in an email Wednesday night that “any specific information related to the flooding will only be released after established procedures are followed and the relevant facts are verified to ensure accuracy.”
Sgt. 1st Class Ariana Shuemake, the West Virginia National Guard’s public affairs officer, referred questions on whether there were any deaths to the governor's office.
Emails seeking similar information weren’t immediately returned by West Virginia Department of Homeland Security spokesman Andy Malinoski and the heads of the Lewis and Upshur county offices of emergency management.
Forecasters said up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell. Morrisey said some places received 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) in 37 minutes.
“There’s no place for the water to go,” he said.
Video and photos on social media showed submerged vehicles in parking lots, including at a Walmart in Weston where muddy water surged far into the store. Across a nearby highway, a hotel’s main floor was inundated.
Emergency crews reported dozens of rescues of people stuck in submerged vehicles. However, some rescuers were unable to get to locations where floodwaters had cut off access.
Officials in some communities were still waiting for floodwaters to recede Wednesday before figuring out where the public can drop off donated supplies. Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner said one such place will be West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“This is heartbreaking,” Skinner said. “This is not something you want to see in your hometown. But we will get past it. We will get through it.”
The heavy rains were part of wide-ranging storms — which also produced reports of tornadoes — stretching from the Cincinnati area across New Jersey to the New York City suburbs. Damage from a possible tornado was reported in the area of St. Marys and Belmont in West Virginia.
The ground was already saturated after storms dumped more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain throughout the state on Saturday.
Although the rain had cleared out Wednesday, flood warnings remained in several counties for low-lying areas and areas near rivers and creeks. Flood watches were posted for a large swath from eastern Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina.
Emergency service communication channels buzzed with activity late Tuesday night in West Virginia’s Lewis and Upshur counties, which have about 40,000 residents combined. First responders performed water rescues Tuesday night into Wednesday, Lewis County Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen said.
“The devastation across our county is extensive,” she said in a social media post.
Floodwaters forced the closure of portions of Interstate 79, U.S. Route 48 and numerous secondary roads. A sinkhole caused by the storm swallowed a vehicle at a bar in Fayetteville.
Tuesday’s storms occurred a decade after 23 people died when heavy rains fell for hours over the same areas.
Data from a U.S. Geological Survey water gauge showed one creek tributary, Sand Run, rose to a record level near Buckhannon, topping the mark set during a November 1985 flood event that resulted in 47 deaths statewide.
Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
Damage and debris outside of a home after severe floods in Weston, W.Va., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)
Mud and debris near Stonecoal Creek in Horner, W.Va., after severe floods on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)
An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP)
An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP)
