** Update: $3.35 mil cap hit over two years. Numbers just posted by Rich Hammond of the Daily News who has THE best Kings' blog around at
insidesocal.com/kings. Clearly it's a great deal for Lombardi and the Kings. I'll have more later tonight **
I know that Kings fans are anxiously awaiting the Cammalleri arbitration decision to find out what he will be making over the next two seasons. Based on section 12.9 (b) and Exhibit 15 of the CBA, that decision should be coming today. But, I do believe that because of section 31.3 (below), with today being a Civic Holiday in Canada the decision may well be delayed until tomorrow. Assuming that the hearing started at 9 am EST on Thursday morning and lasted around five hours, the arbitrator has until 2 PM Tuesday to hand down his decision.
The fact that Ryan Craig's decision was announced today (1 year, $850,000) has no bearing on the Cammalleri hearing because decisions can certainly be announced prior to the deadline, if the arbitrator so chooses.
I imagine that it would be a lot easier to reach a decision on the value of a player who put up 14 goals and 27 points than it would be to decide on a two-year deal for a player who put up 34 goals and 80 points, so it is understandable that the arbitrator handling the Craig hearing was able to decide on that magic number, while the Cammalleri arbitrator is still deliberating. Or it's possible that the arbitrator is at his cottage and not even thinking about the Kings' young sniper today.
One more thing - for those hoping that the Kings would walk away from the decision and make Cammalleri a UFA, that went out the window when the Kings opted for a two-year deal. According to section 12.10 (b) a team cannot walk away from a two-year decision. If the dollar value is outrageous the team can choose to walk away from the second year, making it a one year deal and allowing the player to become a UFA after the upcoming season. They must make that decision 48 hours after the arbitrator's award has been announced.
Here are the relevant CBA sections:
12.9 (n) Salary Arbitration Decision.
(i) Each salary arbitration decision must be issued by fax and e-mail to each of the parties within forty-eight (48) hours of the close of the hearing.
Exhibit 15: Critical Date Calendar
August 4 Last Day of Salary Arbitration Hearings
August 6 Last Day of Issuance of Salary Arbitration Awards
31.3 Time Periods
Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the specification of any time period in this Agreement shall include any non-business days within such period, except that any deadline falling on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal, Provincial or Civil Holiday shall be deemed to fall on the following business day.
12.10 Walk-Away Rights for Player-Elected Salary Arbitration
(b) If a Club has elected to arbitrate a two-year SPC and the award issued is for $1,042,173 or more per annum, then the Club may, within forty-eight (48) hours after the award of the Salary Arbitrator is issued (or, if a Club has any other Player still eligible for salary arbitration at that time and for whom a decision has not been rendered by a Salary Arbitrator at that time, and the Club still has a walk-away right available to it in such League Year pursuant to paragraph (c) below, forty-eight (48) hours after the award of the Salary Arbitrator for such other Player is issued or that arbitration case is settled), notify the Player or his Certified Agent, if any, the NHLPA and the NHL in writing, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereof, that it does not intend to tender to the Player a two-year SPC based on the award as determined by the Salary Arbitrator. Upon receipt of that notice, the Player and the Club shall enter into a one-year SPC providing for the compensation set forth in the award and the Player will automatically be deemed to be an Unrestricted Free Agent at the conclusion of that one-year SPC, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) below.
Danny -
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