Penguins restricted free agent Kasperi Kapanen filed for salary arbitration ahead of Sunday's 5 p.m. deadline.
This summer's salary arbitration hearings will be held from July 27 through Aug. 11. An exact schedule of hearings will be announced at a later date.
The full list of the 24 players around the league who filed for salary arbitration can be found in this announcement from the NHLPA.
Salary arbitration is a way for players and teams to settle contract disputes. An arbitrator listens to the case from both the player and team and sets the player's salary. Both the team's side and the player's side must submit all evidence which will be used 48 hours before the hearing. Each side receives 90 minutes to present its case, with time for rebuttals. The arbitrator then issues a ruling within 48 hours.
Since this is a player-elected arbitration case, the Penguins would only be allowed to walk away from the ruling and make Kapanen an unrestricted free agent if the settlement is in excess of $4,538,958. Since Kapanen's settlement almost certainly wouldn't be that high, it's likely any ruling from the arbitrator will be binding for next season.
Kapanen electing arbitration doesn't mean that the process will actually be completed.
Electing arbitration often creates pressure to get a deal done sooner. Neither side wants to sit through a hearing while the team rips the player's performance, impact and popularity to try to convince the arbitrator why the player deserves a lesser salary. It's awkward for all parties involved. Filing for arbitration gives the player a little more bargaining power because he knows the team will likely want to settle on a deal before the hearing date.
Recent examples of this include the last two times Zach Aston-Reese was a restricted free agent with the Penguins. He elected arbitration both times, but he and the Penguins reached agreements before arbitration in both cases.
I asked Ron Hextall on Wednesday where things stood with Kapanen and how confident he is that the two sides can agree to terms before arbitration hearings begin.
"I'm sure we'll get something done," he said. "I mean, whether they file or don't, I don't know where it's headed right now. But typically, both sides have a range where you know you're going to be. We're pretty comfortable with the range that we believe we'll be in. I spoke with his agent briefly at the draft. I don't think Kappy is going to be a problem."
Here's a primer I previously wrote on the salary arbitration process.
Kapanen's previous contract, signed with Toronto, was a three-year deal that carried a $3.2-million cap hit. Because of the way the contract was structured, his qualifying offer to retain his restricted free agent rights this summer could have been as low as $840,000.
Kapanen played in 79 games for the Penguins last season, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists.
Kapanen and Kasper Bjorkqvist are the only restricted free agents who remain unsigned by the Penguins. Bjorkqvist signed in Finland prior to qualifying offers being due, and the Penguins qualified him only to retain his North American rights in the event he returns in the future.
