The deadline for RFAs to file for salary arbitration was at 5 p.m. EST on Saturday, and 11 players have put themselves on that list.
The following players have filed for arbitration: Lukas Dostal, Drew Helleson, Conor Timmins, Arvid Soderblom, Jayden Struble, Maxim Tsyplakov, Kaapo Kakko, Nick Robertson, Morgan Barron, Dylan Samberg and Gabe Vilardi.
Arbitrators cannot award contracts with terms longer than two years. For the players who are one year away from becoming a UFA, they can only be awarded a one-year contract.
There’s been a gradual drop-off in terms of the number of players who go through the arbitration process. Last season, there were 14 players, the previous year saw 22 players in arbitration, and the year before that had 24 players file for arbitration.
Of the 11 players going to arbitration, three are members of the Winnipeg Jets, and an additional two are from the Anaheim Ducks. Winnipeg’s Vilardi and Anaheim’s Dostal are two high-profile players who headline this list.
Vilardi was a first-line right winger for most of last season for the Jets and had a career year, scoring 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games. With that, he averaged 18:08 of ice time, a plus-9 rating and six game-winning goals.
As for Dostal, he has recently emerged as the starting goaltender in Anaheim. With John Gibson traded to the Detroit Red Wings, the 25-year-old will be expected to carry the load.
Dostal made 49 starts for the Ducks last season and recorded a 23-23-7 record. With that, he put up a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average.
The Ducks ought to be careful during this process, considering a famous arbitration case with a goaltender two years ago.
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman went through arbitration in 2023, and he expressed how terrible his experience was.
“I definitely don’t wish it upon any of my friends and teammates moving forward, and I don’t want to do it ever again as well," Swayman said after the arbitrator awarded him a one-year, $3.475-million contract.
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