The Colorado Avalanche filed for club-elected arbitration ahead of yesterday’s 5 p.m. deadline rather than qualifying 23-year-old RFA center Ryan O’Reilly at a $6.5 million price tag.
O’Reilly is not going to want to take a pay cut from his $6.5 million salary last season during this negotiation (which is still ongoing, arb-file aside). O’Reilly and his agent are able to play a pretty hard line here, as even an unfavorable arbitration ruling gives him the option of bridging himself into UFA in two year’s time.
It's pretty clear from my gathering that Avs think ROR is $5 million player, which is his cap hit. But he was paid $6.5 this year…
— Adrian Dater (@adater) June 15, 2014
There is a period between July 1 and July 5 wherein O’Reilly is open to another offer sheet if a contract isn’t settled.
Meanwhile, Paul Stastny remains unsigned 15 days before UFA opens.
Monday Links:
- Globe & Mail: Plenty of Buyouts Expected to Kick off NHL’s silly season (important stuff in here on where the cap is going next season).
- TSN: Off Season Watch – Brad Richards Buyout, Wild interest in Vanek cools off
- Mile High Hockey: Avalanche to take O’Reilly to Arbiration
- Am980: Leafs rookie tournament schedule announced
- VLM: Maple Leafs fans will need to see something next season, and it is…
