Twenty elect for salary arbitration

by James Mirtle on Jul 5, 2009 11:48 PM CDT Comment 14 comments

Here's a look at the 20 players who filed for salary arbitration by the deadline on Sunday:

Team	Player	08-09 cap hit
Anaheim Ducks	James Wisniewski	0.900
Atlanta Thrashers	Colby Armstrong	1.200
Boston Bruins	Matt Hunwick	0.750
Buffalo Sabres	Clarke MacArthur	0.522
Carolina Hurricanes	Tuomo Ruutu	2.250
Chicago Blackhawks	Aaron Johnson	0.525
Columbus Blue Jackets	Marc Methot	0.522
Detroit Red Wings	Jiri Hudler	1.015
Edmonton Oilers	Denis Grebeshkov	1.500
Minnesota Wild	Kyle Brodziak	0.497
Montreal Canadiens	Tomas Plekanec	1.600
New Jersey Devils	Travis Zajac	0.984
New York Islanders	Nate Thompson	0.500
New York Rangers	Ryan Callahan	0.575
New York Rangers	Nikolai Zherdev	2.500
Phoenix Coyotes	Nigel Dawes	0.588
Phoenix Coyotes	Daniel Winnik	0.532
Tampa Bay Lightning	Matt Smaby	0.792
Vancouver Canucks	Kyle Wellwood	0.998
Washington Capitals	Milan Jurcina	0.881
	Average	0.982

All relatively young, all relatively cheap and all, likely, expecting a raise of some sort.

Last year, 15 players elected for arbitration and just two — Shaone Morrisonn and Ville Koistinen — actually went through the process. I wrote extensively about Morrisonn's hearing last summer (full story), and it wasn't a pretty one — which may be why he didn't elect to go through the same process again despite having those rights.

He was awarded a contract just about right in the middle of what the two sides had asked for, $1.975-million, while Koistinen received $700,000 after being a low impact player the year before.

I'll have more coverage of arbitration as we get closer to the hearings at the end of the month. Expect many of these 20 to sign slowly over the coming weeks, with quite a few deals getting done as the hearings approach.

0 recs | Comment 14 comments | Add comment | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Nate Thompson? Last year was his rookie season, he managed four points, did an acceptable fourth-line job, and was injured a lot, i.e. what’s his leverage here? If I were in Garth Snow’s shoes, I’d walk away with no regrets unless Thompson signs a two-way deal. There are a lot of players on the market who can do the same job as Thompson on a two-way contract. You could even upgrade if you added a few hundred thousand extra. The only reason he even got the chance to play regularly in the NHL is Scott Gordon. Jeez.

by bearhunter on Jul 6, 2009 2:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The team can’t walk away if the award is under a certain amount. I don’t know the figure off the top of my head, but he’s not likely to get that much. This way he’s pretty much guaranteed a contract and has a shot at getting a one-way deal, so the outcome is probably better than his QO no matter what happens.

by brs03 on Jul 6, 2009 7:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

JIRI HUDLER IS GOING TO ARBITRATION!

Arbitration makes a player ineligible to be signed to an offer sheet, as I recall. This means no one can sign Hudler to an offer sheet, and thus, raises the chances for the Wings to keep him. Yay!

That Kessel and Clowe are not on this list means they should still be fair game.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Jul 6, 2009 3:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Kessel wasn’t Arbitration-eligible, so I don’t see why nobody has signed him yet. Boston is up against the Cap and are one of the most vulnerable teams in the league.

Clowe inked a huge $3.5M deal a few days ago, which puts San Jose in a more tenuous situation than Boston. The Sharks are already way over the Cap ceiling even before signing their three RFAs (Greiss, Mitchell and Staubitz), meaning any one of those three gems could be tendered an offer sheet that goes unmatched. Kessel will cost you a 1st and 3rd round pick at next year’s draft (maybe also a 2nd rounder), plus over $4M, but Greiss and company could be had for $2M combined and zero draft picks (if they sign for $994,433 or less).

If I’m Don Maloney, I offer contracts to all three Sharks for the dual purpose of reaching the floor and stealing my Division rival’s backup goalie and depth. If I’m anyone else, I ink Kessel to a multi-year deal at $4.5M or less and expect to go unmatched.

by TD O'Dell on Jul 6, 2009 4:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m wonder how much of an impact the off ice situation in Phoenix affects Maloney here. Is there any kind of conflict with the league providing dollars for the Coyotes to go after other teams RFA’s?

by yrmom on Jul 6, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s a question a lot of us here in Phoenix have been asking, but I think the larger question is that given that the Coyotes are already in a tenuous position, does it make sense to squander goodwill with the other 29 teams by aggressively pursuing an RFA through offer sheets?

On the one hand, we have a spare 1st rounder and about 5 million left in budget room so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. But on the other, when did nabbing an RFA via an offer sheet ever endear anyone to the traditional, old-guard NHL folks?

Then, too, you have to bring into account the Coyotes’ own RFAs – another team could very easily poach one of our not-yet-signed guys like Upshall with the right offer and we wouldn’t have the capability of matching.

I think that if Phoenix and San Jose deal, what Maloney will do is trade for Marleau or Michalek since, with SJ’s cap issues, they need to part with one or both of them and Phoenix needs an impact veteran forward. But that’s just my opinion.

You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

by zyllyx on Jul 6, 2009 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, apparently I missed this Clowe business, because I’ve heard nothing of it. Someone ought to get Kessel’s name on an offer sheet though.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Jul 6, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clowe would be fair game had he not already signed an extension….

by Afino on Jul 6, 2009 8:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He did? Where was this news?

I hate it when I’m interested in minor players and news about said minor players is not as widely reported.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Jul 6, 2009 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was fairly prominent on TSN when it was reported. 4 years, $14.5m I believe.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jul 6, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then apparently I’m retarded. I’ll go back to my hole now.

Nice deal for Clowe though, I’m surprised SJ went that high.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Jul 6, 2009 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The most likely reason why Shaone Morrisonn did not go to arbitration this year is that if he does, he’s unlikely to be in a Caps sweater this coming season. The Capitals are under their cap right now, but not by much, and they have two bluechip prospect D-men waiting in the wings (Karl Alzner and John Carlson). Morrisonn’s stats don’t warrant a huge raise, and he can be replaced, so if he elected for arbitration, George McPhee would probably let him walk.

"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri

by gotsparkly on Jul 6, 2009 6:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nate Thompson… hahaha, that is funny. This kid is put down a lot within the realms of Islanders fans. But Ive stuck up for him a bit, saying theres nothing wrong with keeping a kid like him around to continue developing.

But this arbitration thing really is funny. There is nothing in Nates stats that will help him to make a case in my opinion. I mean, look at this for example:

Nate Thompson had 2G 2A for 4 points in 43 GP last season.

Whoopey.

Now to put that in perspective,
Rick DiPietro had 0G 2A for 2 points in 5GP last season.

If you are a forward and you get your ass kicked in production-wise by a goalie who spent the entire season on IR, then you really dont have much to make a case for yourself in arbitration. Sorry, Nate.

I guess Thompsons agent is whispering crazy talk into his ear.

Lets go Islanders...

by TheMetalChick on Jul 6, 2009 9:15 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

All he needs to do is make a strong enough case to get a one-way deal and the move will have paid off for him, even if he gets a lower salary figure. Now I have no idea how difficult that is, but it’s likely a risk worth taking.

by brs03 on Jul 6, 2009 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs