Player Profile: Jason Robertson

Jason Robertson

Position: Left Wing

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Age: 24

Shoots: Left

Salary: Three years left at $7.75 million

Did You Know: Robertson has 234 points (104 goals, 130 assists) in 210 games during his first three NHL seasons. That's more than Mike Modano, who had 216 points in 235 games.

Last Season:Robertson had a breakout season, tallying 109 points, the second highest single season total in franchise history. After getting 41 goals in 74 games the year before, Robertson put it all together and posted 46 goals with 63 assists. He finished sixth in scoring in the NHL and was named first team left wing on the league's official All-Star Team. Robertson finished fifth in the league in power play points with 41, seventh in plus-minus at plus-37 and ninth in shots on goal at 313. He also led the Stars in SAT, defined by the league as "puck possession," at 56.4 percent. While he struggled to start the playoffs, he finished with points in seven of the last nine games and finished with 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 19 post-season games.

Looking Forward:The logical expectation is for Robertson to take a step back. What he did was unexpected, improving his point total by 30 points and becoming the first player to get close to Bobby Smith's single season franchise scoring record of 114 points. Smith did it with Minnesota in 1981-82. The Stars high point level since the team moved to Dallas in 1993 was 93 by Mike Modano, so you can see just how rare a feat the 109 points is. That said, the Stars seem to be a different team under head coach Pete DeBoer, and GM Jim Nill tried to improve the offense in the off-season. All of that could help Robertson chase a similar number - if not better. Maybe the most encouraging thing about the 24-year-old is how creative and hungry he can be. Robertson was in a slump to start the playoffs and dug in, scoring 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) over his last nine post-season games. He learned that the playoffs are a much tighter game, and he learned how to succeed in that difficult environment. Robertson plays on one of the best lines in the league with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, so he definitely will have an opportunity to score. Can he continue to keep pushing the bar higher? That's the key question.

He Said It: "There's not many guys who can miss an entire training camp dealing with contract stuff and then show up and have the start he had to the season. That's all self-motivation and a guy who was putting in a ton of work on his own, making sure he was ready and knowing he was probably going to miss part of training camp. His preparation and his wanting to work to improve his own game every night and every day at practice is what makes him special."

• Stars coach Pete DeBoer on the fact Robertson missed all of training camp in a contract holdout and still posted the numbers he did.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.