NHLPA Files Grievance Over Nashville Predators RFA Qualifications

According to tsn.ca, the National Hockey League Players' Association has filed a grievance against the Nashville Predators for what they believe are improper qualifying offers that were given to their restricted free agents. The Players' Association believes that Matt Halischuk, Linus Klasen, Sergei Kostitsyn, Chris Mueller, Cal O'Reilly, Nick Spaling, and Andreas Thuresson did not receive their qualifying offers in a timely fashion. Shea Weber was exempt from a qualifying offer because the team filed for salary arbitration with him, mainly to avoid a rival team from giving him an offer sheet. The NHLPA will ask independent arbitrator George Nicholau to expedite his ruling so the players will know by July 1 whether or not they will be restricted or unrestricted free agents. If Nicholau sides with the NHLPA, all seven of the above-mentioned players will become unrestricted free agents not subject to a right to match or draft choice compensation. The league maintains that the seven players were given timely qualifications and will be restricted free agents on July 1. The Chicago Blackhawks were found guilty of sending out improper qualifications to some of their restricted free agents in 2009 and were forced to quickly sign those players to avoid losing them to unrestricted free agency. The New Jersey Devils were also guilty of improper qualifications many years ago. If the arbitrator sides with the NHLPA, this would not be good news for the Predators, as several of the aforementioned players enjoyed fine seasons in 2010-11 and will look to build upon their success in expanded roles in 2011-12. However, if the Predators were to lose any or all of these players to unrestricted free agency, it wouldn't be a complete death blow to the team, as they would likely find suitable replacements for all of them on the trade or free agent markets or from within their own system. Hopefully the Predators will be able to get the issue resolved without losing any players.