As the NHL off-season progresses and unrestricted free agents determine their next teams, the path to a new contract isn`t always straightforward for every player.
For certain individuals, particularly restricted free agents, reaching a new contract agreement sometimes necessitates the involvement of an external resolution method.
The NHL Players` Association announced before Saturday`s deadline that a total of 11 players have chosen to file for salary arbitration. This is a mechanism utilized by the league to resolve contract disputes between teams and eligible restricted free agents. The process involves a hearing where both the club and the player present arguments advocating for a specific salary amount to a neutral third party, who ultimately makes the binding decision regarding the upcoming contract`s financial terms.
It`s important to note that teams and players are permitted to continue negotiating and can finalize a new deal before an official arbitration hearing takes place. As an illustration, according to CapFriendly, every player who filed for arbitration in 2021 successfully settled their contracts prior to their scheduled hearings.
The NHL stands as one of only two major professional sports leagues in North America, alongside MLB, that employs a salary arbitration system.
The deadline for teams to elect salary arbitration is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. Following this, arbitration hearings are scheduled to be conducted between July 20 and August 4.
Here is the complete roster of the 11 players who have filed for salary arbitration:
- Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets)
- Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks)
- Drew Helleson (Anaheim Ducks)
- Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken)
- Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets)
- Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks)
- Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens)
- Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres)
- Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders)
- Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)
Duncan Priestley