DeBrincat’s Contract Target, Robertson Talks and Pittsburgh’s Knies Near-Miss

Three contract and draft stories offer a useful read on how teams value players: Alex DeBrincat is reportedly eyeing a major salary, the Dallas Stars expect to deepen talks with Jason Robertson in December, and the Pittsburgh Penguins came close to selecting Matthew Knies before Toronto took him. Each account comes with a different level of certainty. DeBrincat’s figure is a reported target, Robertson’s talks have a stated timeline, and Knies’s Pittsburgh connection is a look back at a decision from the 2021 draft.

DeBrincat’s reported target reaches $12 million to $14 million

David Pagnotta said on OilersNation Everyday that DeBrincat could be seeking a contract in the $12 million to $14 million range, depending on the term. The report comes from NHL Rumour Report. DeBrincat is a pending unrestricted free agent with the Detroit Red Wings, so the figure puts the scale of a possible next contract in focus.

The range is broad, and the term is part of the calculation. A shorter deal at the high end and a longer commitment at a lower annual figure would carry different implications for a club’s roster planning. Pagnotta’s report gives no proposed term, offer details or negotiating status, so it should be read as an estimate of what DeBrincat may want rather than a settled price or a confirmed Red Wings offer.

For Detroit, the immediate question is how that reported target fits the team’s plans and the value it places on keeping DeBrincat. For the player, the figure signals the scale of the contract he may be seeking as he approaches unrestricted free agency. What comes next will depend on the terms both sides are prepared to discuss; the report alone doesn’t establish whether the gap is large or small.

Dallas expects more serious Robertson discussions on Dec. 1

The Stars have identified a date to step up contract-extension discussions with Robertson’s agent: Dec. 1. General manager Jim Nill said on 105.3 radio that Dallas would begin having “more serious discussions” then, according to Robert Tiffin.

Nill described the shared intention plainly: “Jason wants to be here, and we want him to come back. We just need to find the right contract that fits, and I think we’ll be able to do that.” That’s an encouraging description of the relationship, but agreement on wanting a return still leaves the contract itself to work through. The key information to watch is what term and salary can satisfy both sides.

Setting a date for more serious talks gives the negotiation a clear next checkpoint. It doesn’t mean an extension is imminent, and Nill did not disclose proposed terms. For Dallas, reaching a deal would keep Robertson in the club’s plans; for Robertson, the discussions will determine the shape of his next commitment. Until further details emerge, the team’s stated optimism and the Dec. 1 timeline are the concrete developments.

A separate report concerns Detroit’s contract offer to Simon Edvinsson and says the Red Wings will need to go higher. The full account is available here. The information provided here doesn’t include the offer’s terms, so it doesn’t support a closer comparison with the reported DeBrincat figure.

Pittsburgh planned to take Knies one pick after Toronto

Knies’s story with the Penguins is a near-miss from the 2021 draft. Brian Burke said on The Sheet with Jeff Marek that Pittsburgh planned to select the winger at No. 58 in the second round. Toronto chose Knies at No. 57, one pick before the Penguins could make their selection.

Burke recounted that he asked then-general manager Ron Hextall what Pittsburgh was doing, and Hextall told him they were going to take Knies. Burke said he then told Chris Pryor to begin filling out the draft slip with Knies’s name. By the time Pittsburgh was ready to make the selection, Toronto had already taken him. The Penguins selected Tristan Broz instead.

The anecdote gives a clear picture of how strongly Pittsburgh regarded Knies at the time, while also showing how quickly a draft plan can be overtaken by the pick immediately ahead. Burke said he likes Knies as a player, while acknowledging that he didn’t know him personally beyond brief greetings. His account is a recollection of Pittsburgh’s intention, not a claim that the team selected Knies.

Marek and Burke also discussed Knies’s fit alongside skilled players such as Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson. Marek pointed to the forward’s power game and net-front physicality as qualities that could complement skilled linemates. Burke called the combination a “marriage made in heaven,” while stressing his view of Knies as a player rather than drawing on a personal relationship.

Put together, the three items show different stages of hockey decision-making: a reported contract target, an extension negotiation with a date for more serious talks, and a draft choice Pittsburgh nearly made years ago. The next concrete marker is Dallas’s planned Dec. 1 discussions; in Detroit, DeBrincat’s reported range leaves the eventual terms unanswered.