Viktor Arvidsson scored 31 goals in a breakout season last year with the Predators, and now he wants to cash in. The club was thrilled with his offensive production, but is not yet ready to invest the big-bucks Arvidsson seeks.
Such is a prime example of why NHL teams and their arbitration-eligible players let a third-party settle their contract disputes.
That is exactly what the Predators and their 24-year-old Swedish winger did Saturday in Toronto. With Arvidsson reportedly seeking $4.5 million for one season and the team offering a two-year deal worth a total of $5.5 million, the gap between the two sides proved to be too large to bridge in advance of the arbitration hearing.
Viktor Arvidsson is scheduled for arbitration tomorrow. What could his next contract look like? https://t.co/QMaBZLurST
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) July 21, 2017
This past week, the Senators avoided arbitration with forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Ryan Dzingel and the Red Wings did likewise, agreeing with forward Tomas Tatar at the 12th hour on a new multi-year contract. That is always the preferred path for both team and player as the arbitration process is often contentious and unpleasant.
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Arvidsson's case is an intriguing one. The skilled former fourth-round pick recorded only eight goals and 16 points over 62 NHL games from 2014-15 through 2015-16. Last season he exploded offensively, recording 61 points in 80 games. Arvidsson tied linemate Ryan Johansen for the team lead in scoring, while he and Filip Forsberg led Nashville in goals. His production fell off in the playoffs where he scored three goals and 13 points in 22 games as the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final.
So, is Arvidsson a player who figured it out and is a cornerstone piece of the Predators both at present and in the future? Or does he need to prove that last year was not a fluke? Therein lies the murky area the arbitrator must navigate before rendering a decision on Monday.
This summer 30 NHL players filed for salary arbitration. So far, half — exactly 15 after the Coyotes and Jordan Martinook agreed to terms on a new deal Saturday morning — have settled and avoided arbitration. Among those players who have yet to agree to terms and face arbitration hearings in the coming weeks are the Rangers' Mike Zibanejad, Wild forwards' Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter, Robin Lehner of the Sabres, Islanders' defenseman Calvin de Haan, Jets' goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and both Conor Sheary and Brian Dumoulin of the Penguins.
Nashville still has center Austin Watson's arbitration hearing ahead of them on Monday.