Mangiapane, Bratt lead list of 24 players who elect salary arbitration
With this, the players have the option to have an arbitration hearing if the player and their respective team are unable to reach an agreement by the time of their hearing, which will occur between July 27th and August 11th this year. This process is usually just a formality, and the two parties often reach an agreement before the hearing.
Should they require the hearing, both parties will meet before a neutral arbitrator with a specific salary that they want, or in the case of the team, what they think the player is worth. They will then present their case to the arbitrator, who will then use that, as well as contract comparables, to determine the salary of the player.
If the salary comes in at a number over $4,538,958, the team has the option to walk away from the contract, and the player goes to unrestricted free agency. If it’s a two year contract over $4,538,958, the club has the option to walk away from the second year, making them a UFA after year 1. The team is also given a second buyout window in the event that they need to buy out another contract to be cap compliant.
What is more interesting is some of the players who didn’t elect for salary arbitration. Matthew Tkachuk , Patrik Laine , and Pierre-Luc Dubois all decided against arbitration. Laine is rumoured to be contemplating taking his qualifying offer, which would give him a $7.5 million salary for one year before he becomes a UFA.