Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and originally produced by the National Hockey Leaguer Players’ Association, 14 players have elected for salary arbitration this summer. The deadline for team-elected arbitration is tomorrow. Friedman also notes the arbitration hearings will happen between July 20th and August 4th. To add context, not every one of these players will appear for a hearing with their respective teams as they may continue to negotiate on a new contract. However, each player who elects for salary arbitration is now prohibited from negotiating with other teams or signing an offer sheet. Here is a list of the players that have elected for arbitration:
F Beck Malenstyn (Buffalo Sabres)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
F Martin Necas (Carolina Hurricanes)
F Jack Drury (Carolina Hurricanes)
D Jake Christiansen (Columbus Blue Jackets)
G Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Joe Veleno (Detroit Red Wings)
D Spencer Stastney (Nashville Predators)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (New York Islanders)
D Ryan Lindgren (New York Rangers)
D Ty Emberson (San Jose Sharks)
D J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning)
F Connor Dewar (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Moser goes from Utah to Tampa and gonna get a solid contract and be a contender for another 4-5 years.
Talk about a win
I suspect Moser could get somewhere between $2m to $2.6m AAV for 2 years. I’m sure Tampa would have preferred to avoid arbitration all together but it is what it is.
I’m thinking Breisbois will look to do a 3 year bridge deal around $2.5-3 M a year. Moser is a very strong defensive D Man. If he can get his Offensive game to above average to good he will be a key for this team for years.
The 2-3 years is fine but it’s the AAV factor that could be tricky. The thing is though if Moser elected to go to arbitration (which I believe he has) than BriseBois has no say in the contract as it will be determined by the arbitrator & it will be up to BriseBois to accept or decline it. If BriseBois declines the arbitrator’s terms (which he won’t) then Moser then becomes a UFA if I’m correct in how the ruling works.
I think Tampa would like to have Moser’s AAV between $2m to $2.6m but I could see it hit as high as $2.8m from the arbitration. I be surprised if it hits $3m AAV. I feel BriseBois wants to keep cap flexibility to potentially make another roster move to some degree.
What’s Necas gonna get
Just trade away Veleno’s rights at this point. Decent player but not worth 2M AAV. You could get the same output from a player making less.
Who said Veleno is going to make 2m ?!
He made league minimum last year ($825k).
In arbritration it’s about stats and production, teams and players can’t use other contracts, team cap space, etc in the arguments.
He’ll get a modest raise, but probably in the 15% range to bump him to just above the entry level contract value, north of $950k.
Detroit will use his international suspension from the stomp against him too, as teams can use disciplinary incidents against players as well to shape the “leadership” argument for/against.
Bottom line Joe Veleno will be a Red Wing, and he’ll make between $950k and $1.15m for the season
Veleno brought 28 points to the team last season, but he is deep in the minus ratings with a minus 16 for the season. He can’t keep that up and claim to bring value to a team that has struggled defensively for many seasons. A few recent acquisitions have been forwards that can be point getters but with positive ratings.
Maybe trade for more of a two way player.
Hmm that’s weird, Veleno just signed a 2x$2.275 AAV.
A few RFA defensemen with track records not as good as Moser’s have reached agreements for ~$3M this offseason. He’ll get somewhere around there on a 2-3 year deal. Anything close to 2 isn’t happening.
Dewar will get low 1’s and he’s fine as a 4th C for Toronto. The problem now becomes David Kampf… too valuable, yet too overpaid to be a 4th C, doesn’t have the offense you’d like to see from a 3C.