Coyotes restricted free agent forward Mikkel Boedker on Sunday filed for salary arbitration, his agent Jarrett Bousquet confirmed.
Bousquet and Coyotes general manager Don Maloney have been discussing a new contract for about three months, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement ahead of the deadline for player-elected salary arbitration today at 2 p.m., Arizona time (Monday is the deadline for team-elected salary arbitration).
Normally, because Boedker has elected salary arbitration, the Coyotes would have the opportunity to choose the length of the contract -- either one year or two years -- per terms of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. But because Boedker has seven years of accrued NHL experience and is one year away from becoming a Group 3 free agent, the Coyotes can only choose a term of one year.
"When two sides can't agree on something, there is a certain date by which you have to have a contract finished before you weigh other options," Bousquet said. "There have been a lot of changes in the Coyotes organization and this gives both sides some freedom to wait a little longer while we figure things out.
"We can still talk, but at this point we're looking to see if we can get a one-year deal done to avoid letting the system take care of it."
Arbitration cases can be held any time between July 20 and Aug. 4 with the league and the NHLPA agreeing upon the date. The two sides are free to negotiate a new deal any time before a ruling on the arbitration case is rendered and most cases are generally settled before the hearing.
Once a ruling exists, the team can either accept it or walk away. A decision is required within 48 hours of the ruling. If the team declines the offer, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Part of Boedker's leverage is the aforementioned fact that he can become an unrestricted free agent in a year. There is reason to believe he could command a salary close to $5 million per season based on his production and the demand for young, skilled players with Boedker's speed. The Bruins signed 27-year-old wing Matt Belesky to a five-year, $19 million deal after Belesky posted 22 goals last season. Before last season, Belesky had just 35 goals in 264 NHL games.
Boedker, 25, had 19 goals in 2013-14 and was on his way to a 20-plus-goal season last year when he suffered a ruptured spleen in a January game in Winnipeg that ended his year. He finished with 14 goals and 28 points in 45 games.
Coyotes general manager Don Maloney acknowledged recently that term has been a sticking point in the negotiations, but Bousquet signaled a change in thinking on Sunday when he said he wants to start the negotiations by talking about a one-year deal.
The Coyotes have two other NHL-level restricted free agents: defensemen Klas Dahlbeck and Brandon Gormley. Neither is arbitration eligible.
The NHL Players Association reported that 23 players filed for salary arbitration on Sunday. Coyotes minor-league defenseman Philip Samuelsson and minor-league forward Brendan Shinnimin were among those players.
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