Today was supposed to be the day that arbitration hearings started, but the two players that were scheduled were among the handful of players that settled on new contracts with their teams over the last week. Cole Perfetti signed a five-year deal with Winnipeg that carries a $6 million AAV. Jamie Drysdale also came to an agreement with Philadelphia on a four-year contract worth $6.5 million per season. He wasn’t the only Flyer to cut a deal as Trevor Zegras also signed for four seasons, but his cap hit will be at $9.125 million.
The biggest name left in the arbitration game is Jason Robertson. The Dallas Star forward has a scheduled hearing on Saturday as the two sides continue to find a common ground (or an acceptable trade partner). Could Connor Bedard’s recent deal, five years at $15 million, be a template for the 26-year-old who already has 215 goals under his belt in his career?
It’s not just the arbitration-eligible restricted free agents that are still in contract limbo. Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier just saw his GM cut teammate Leo Carlsson a $19.5 million signing bonus as part of the five-year, $90 million offer sheet that Pat Verbeek matched. The money is a little tighter in California these days as the Ducks only have $9 million in cap space at the moment. Verbeek will likely have to move a veteran in Alex Killorn or Chris Kreider to make the money work if he wants to keep Gauthier around.
Adam Fantilli (Columbus), Alexander Nikishin (Carolina), Cole Sillinger (Columbus), and Simon Edvinsson (Detroit) are some more young players without contracts with prospect camps just over a month away. What happens these players could also kickstart unrestricted free agency, which still has a few productive names looking for new homes.
Hockey News
Is Jeffrey Viel the right player at the right time for the Lightning? [Tampa Bay Times]
Unless he scores 30 goals the next three seasons, the Jeffrey Viel contract is going to go down as one of the most unusual ones in Lightning history. That’s probably not going to happen, but it doesn’t mean the 29-year-old can’t have an impact. Could the Bolts be catching a late bloomer on the rise?
Which NHL teams improved the most this offseason? [The Athletic]
The Predators were one of the busier teams, and while they weren’t splashing big contracts around like they did a few summers ago, they did make some nice additions. The Leafs ranked fourth while the Lightning came in 15th with The Athletic stating they did “fairly well to replace what they lost in free agency”.
What is the sticking point with the Quinn Hughes extension? [Hockey Wilderness]
The Lightning aren’t the only team with a high-profile player that is extension eligible. The Wild made a big splash in acquiring Quinn Hughes last year and are adamant they want to extend the dynamic defenseman. So what is the catch? Term. The two sides are trying to figure out how long the deal is going to be.
Cross-sport NHL player comparisons [Daily FaceOff]
Have you ever wondered who is the NHL’s version of LeBron? Well, the folks over at DFO have put together a nice little crossover list.