2012 NHL Arbitration

The following NHL players have elected to file for salary arbitration this summer. The hearings will be held from July 20 to August 4. Arbitrators are only allowed to hand out one to two year deals and their decisions must be made within 48 hours of the hearing. Teams then have 48 hours to accept or decline the arbitrator's decision. If a team has more than one player filing for arbitration, that team has 48 hours from their last player's hearing to decide if they want to accept or decline the arbitrator's decision. If a team declines an arbitrator's decision, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent. If an arbitrator's award is for more than $1,633,131 on a one-year contract, the team has the right to walk away from the decision and let the player become an unrestricted free agent. Anything under that amount, the team must accept the award. Players who have filed for arbitration cannot be given an offer sheet. The following players are still scheduled for arbitration:


All players re-signed with their teams before their arbitration dates.


The following players have re-signed with their teams prior to their arbitration hearings:

Anaheim Ducks
Nick Bonino, C - 2 years, $1.4 million (7/12/12)

Colorado Avalanche
Jamie McGinn, RW - 2 years, $3.5 million (7/13/12)

Dallas Stars
Richard Bachman, G - 1 year, $625,000 (7/12/12)
Mark Fistric, D - 1 year, $1.475 million (7/21/12)

Detroit Red Wings
Kyle Quincey, D - 2 years, $7.55 million (7/18/12)

Edmonton Oilers
Sam Gagner, C - 1 year, $3.2 million (7/20/12)

Florida Panthers
Kris Versteeg, RW - 4 years, $17.6 million (7/23/12)

Montreal Canadiens
Raphael Diaz, D - 2 years, $2.45 million (7/13/12)

Nashville Predators
Sergei Kostitsyn, LW - 2 years, $6 million (7/23/12)

New Jersey Devils
Mark Fayne, D - 2 years, $2.6 million (7/21/12)

New York Rangers
Anton Stralman, D - 2 years, $3.4 million (7/26/12)

Ottawa Senators
Kaspars Daugavins, LW - 1 year, $635,000 (7/23/12)

St. Louis Blues
T.J. Oshie, RW - 5 years, $20.875 million (7/19/12)
David Perron, LW - 4 years, $15.25 million (7/5/12)

San Jose Sharks
T.J. Galiardi, C - 1 year, $950,000 (7/9/12)

Toronto Maple Leafs
Nikolai Kulemin, RW - 2 years, $5.6 million (7/20/12)

Vancouver Canucks
Mason Raymond, RW - 1 year, $2.275 million (7/9/12)
Dale Weise, RW - 1 year, undisclosed (7/25/12)

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.

Predators Sign Sergei Kostitsyn to One-Year Contract

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have signed newly acquired right wing Sergei Kostitsyn to a one-year contract worth $550,000. He was acquired by the Predators on June 29 from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goalie Dan Ellis and forward Dustin Boyd. In 47 games last season with the Canadiens, Kostitsyn had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He also appeared in 16 games with Hamilton of the AHL, scoring four goals and nine assists for 13 points. He also added two goals and three assists in four games with Belarus at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This is a very affordable signing for the Predators, and I'm very impressed that they were able to sign Kostitsyn for so little and that he didn't hold out for more money or threaten to go to the KHL. He is a very shifty winger who has some offensive upside, but has questionable work ethics and a poor attitude. Depending on how he plays next season and if he clashes at all with the Predators' management will be big factors if Kostitsyn gets a longer contract or a raise next summer.

Predators Acquire Sergei Kostitsyn for Ellis, Boyd

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have acquired right wing Sergei Kostitsyn and future considerations from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender Dan Ellis, center Dustin Boyd, and future considerations. The future considerations in the trade will become late round draft picks if any of the players are signed to contracts for next season. Kostitsyn is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, while Ellis and Boyd will be unrestricted free agents. In 47 games last season with the Canadiens, Kostitsyn had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He also appeared in 16 games with Hamilton of the AHL, scoring four goals and nine assists for 13 points. Ellis played in 31 games with the Predators last season, posting a 15-13-1 record, one shutout, a 2.69 GAA, and a .909 save percentage. Boyd, who was acquired by the Predators from the Calgary Flames on March 3, had 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points. Certainly an interesting trade for both teams, but only time will tell who won this one. Kostitsyn is a very shifty winger who has some offensive upside, but has questionable work ethics and a poor attitude. He was suspended by the Canadiens last October for refusing to report to Hamilton and was told to stay away from the team prior to game four of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals game against Pittsburgh. He has also expressed an interest in leaving the NHL for the KHL. If Kostitsyn can change his attitude and work ethic in Nashville, he could provide a decent offensive spark to the team. If he clashes with Predators management much like he did in Montreal, the club could witness another young forward depart for the KHL, as Alexander Radulov did a couple summers ago. The Canadiens get a solid goaltender in Ellis and a decent third line forward in Boyd, but there is no guarantee those two players will be signed by the Canadiens. If they do sign, Ellis will be a good backup for Carey Price, and could even jump into the starter's role if the latter should struggle, whereas Boyd would be a decent two-way forward for the Canadiens.