:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50033113/usa-today-9235808.0.jpg)
With the signing of Jean-Francois Berube to a one-year, one-way contract today, the New York Islanders officially avoided having any player file for arbitration.
That means no strife and contract drama heading into arbitration season...although restricted free agent (but not arbitration eligible) Ryan Strome remains a tricky one, and if they don't reach agreement this month it could lead to near-training camp drama the way Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey did in days' past.
Like Berube, Casey Cizikas was also arbitration eligible, but you already know how that was avoided: With a handsome contract for the fourth-line(?) center.
Meanwhile, even better arbitration news:
Whoo! All 4 rangers go to arbitration! Fractured relationships! Unfair rewards! Mayhem!
— Rookie Example (@KeithLHHockey) July 5, 2016
League-wide, 24 players have elected for salary arbitration, which sets a deadline of sorts: Both team and player tend to wish to avoid the unpredictable nature -- and sometimes wounded feelings -- of an arbitration hearing, so this creates a little extra pressure to get a deal done.
It's an almost-certain bet that most of the following players will not ever reach their arbitration hearings:
- Michael Stone
- Tyson Barrie
- Mikhail Grigorenko
- Jared Coreau
- Danny DeKeyser
- Jordan Schroeder
- Petter Granberg
- Calle Jarnkrok
- Kyle Palmieri
- Kevin Hayes
- Chris Kreider
- Dylan McIlrath
- Jonathan Miller
- Mike Hoffman
- Brandon Manning
- Brayden Schenn
- Jordan Weal
- Jaden Schwartz
- Alex Killorn
- Vladislav Namestnikov
- Frank Corrado
- Peter Holland
- Martin Marincin
- Marcus Johansson
The deadline for Club-Elected Salary Arbitration notification was July 6, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Salary arbitration hearings will be held in Toronto from July 20 to August 4, 2016.