The dog days of the NHL offseason has seen the news trickle in little by little. Each day brings something new. This is the time of year where we see arbitration hearings set for eligible players.
Rarely do these hearings take place as the player and team usually settle on a new contract. But when the player and team has to go to arbitration that is usually when the market get set for the other players out there that play the same position.
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Recently the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ilya Samsonov had to go to arbitration. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the player as Samsonov was awarded a one year deal worth $3.55 million. That number has set the market for the rest of the goalies out there.
As we saw on Monday, July 31st with the Minnesota Wild and goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the two parties were able to avoid arbitration. It was reported earlier on that day by Joe Smith of The Athletic that Gustavsson and the team were working towards a new deal trying to avoid arbitration.
A few hours later, the Wild announced a new three-year contract worth $11.25 million. The annual average value came in around $3.75 million. This number is just above what Samsonov got at his arbitration hearing thus setting the market for things to come.
Speaking of things to come. The Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman had an arbitration hearing on Sunday, July 30th. The player was asking for $4.8 million while the team put in a $2 million number.
With Samsonov getting $3.55 million and Gustvasson getting $3.75 million, you have to think Swayman will get something around there.
Well on Tuesday, August 1st the arbitrator made on a one year deal for Swayman, where he would earn $3.475 million. This number is right under Samsonov’s number of $3.55 million.
Considering both Swayman and Samsonov had similar numbers, this is a fair ruling by the arbitrator. Not to mention it is a win for both the player and team. It gives the Bruins room to go add a number one center as well.
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Again it was very strange that a team did not offer sheet Swayman considering the year he had. The offer sheet is rare like these arbitration hearings. It is one of those unwritten rules teams do not do. But we have seen it done, most recently between Carolina and Montreal.
However, if a team wanted to put the Bruins in an even tougher spot, somebody could have put a number out there for the Bruins management to really think about.
Just as we saw with Cal Petersen and the Los Angeles Kings, when Petersen got the $5 million AAV setting the market for goalies like Darcy Kuemper and Jack Campbell, Ilya Samsonov‘s one year deal at $3.55 million set the market for Gustavsson and Swayman to see increases heading into this season.