24 Restricted Free Agents File for Salary Arbitration

Tuesday was the deadline for players in the National Hockey League to file for salary arbitration for the upcoming season, as 24 players chose to file.

In order to be eligible to file for arbitration a player must have four years of NHL experience. Restricted free agents use the process as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with the current teams. The cases will be heard by a neutral arbitrator from late July until early August. 

The teams and the players can continue to negotiate on a deal, while waiting for their hearing. If the players and their respective clubs are unable to reach an agreement before the hearing, the decision of the arbitrator, made within 48 hours of the hearing, is the salary the player will be awarded. 

The team can either accept the offer or choose to walk away and decline it, thereby making the player an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any other team. Teams are allowed to take a player to arbitration, but a player can only be taken to arbitration once in his career, and can never receive less than 85 percent of the previous season’s salary. The deadline for teams to take a player to arbitration is Wednesday at 5:00 PM. 

The evidence that can be used during the hearings can include overall performance, which can include statistics from their entire career. It can involve injuries, illnesses and games played as well as the player’s length of service with the team and the league. 

The player’s overall contributions towards the team’s success or failures can be brought up during the cases. The player’s special qualities of leadership or public appeal can be brought into the hearings, just as the performance and salary of a similar type of player. 

 

The evidence that is not admissible is if they use an unrestricted free agent for the comparable player, the team’s salary cap status can’t be brought into the discussions. The financial state of the organization is inadmissible evidence during the hearing as well. 

Media reports, video or testimonials are not allowed to be used during the arbitration cases either. 

The 24 players that elected to go to arbitration, prior to Tuesday’s 5:00 PM deadline include; from the

Arizona Coyotes: Michael Stone 

Colorado Avalanche: Tyson Barrie and Mikhail Grigorenko

Detroit Red Wings: Jared Coreau and Danny DeKeyser

Minnesota Wild: Jordan Schroeder

Nashville Predators: Calle Jarnkrok and Petter Granberg

New Jersey Devils: Kyle Palmieri 

New York Rangers: Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Dylan McIllrath and J.T. Miller

Ottawa Senators: Mike Hoffman

Philadelphia Flyers: Brayden Schenn, Brandon Manning and Jordan Weal

St. Louis Blues: Jaden Schwartz 

Tampa Bay Lightning: Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov

Toronto Maple Leafs: Frank Corrado, Peter Holland and Martin Marincin

Washington Capitals: Marcus Johansson