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Callahan and Zherdev Opt for Arbitration |
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Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev were the two Rangers among 20 players that opted for arbitration Sunday. Callahan was qualified at 660K and Zherdev at $3.25 million.
Steve Zipay in his blog gives a good explanation as the process leading up to and including arbitration and what is included within the hearing:
Here's how it works. A player and team can continue to negotiate until the date of a hearing, scheduled between July 20 and Aug. 4. If there's no agreement, the player and team each propose a salary for the upcoming season and argue their cases at a hearing. A third- party arbitrator weighs the arguments and sets the player's salary. Within 48 hours, the team can decline the salary, and the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Among the evidence that can be presented: Statistics in all previous seasons; injuries, illnesses and the number of games played, length of service with the team and in the NHL, the player's "overall contribution" to the team's success or failure, the player's "special qualities of leadership or public appeal". Salaries and performance can be compared to other players, but not an unrestricted free agent who signed a contract. The team's finances and the cap situation are not permitted as evidence.
The likelihood is that Callahan and the Rangers will reach an accord prior to the hearing. The question is at what price for both him and Brandon Dubinsky? Do we use the three years, $8.7 million deal that Toronto re-signed Mikhail Grabovski as the base line or is the four years, $14 million given by San Jose to Ryan Clowe? Given their tenure, the contract likely given to and agreed to by Cally and Dubie would seem to end up being closer to Grabovski than Clowe, but it behoove the Rangers to be proactive and get something done now because as the unrestricted free agent market dries up, those two players as RFA will look even more attractive than they are now.
With Zherdev, there are multiple concerns. Firstly, there are rumors that Zherdev is considering jumping to the KHL due to the way his season ended under coach John Tortorella. Torts left Zherdev on the bench more often than not, so it would not be surprising if Zherdev isn't in the team's plans for the upcoming year. That makes the qualifying offer and arbitration a way to protect the team's interests in case they want him back. The determination on if they want him back will likely be driven on who else the team adds this offseason, what happens with Cally and Dubie and the type of award given by the arbitrator. The Rangers will likely focus on the "the player's "overall contribution" to the team's success or failure" as part of the arb hearing to show how Zherdev's numbers were stagnant last year, though that was likely more due to how he was used by Torts, and that the team made their playoff run without him. With Nik Antropov gone, if the award is between what Clowe got from SJ and what Antropov got annually from Atlanta, look for the Rangers to accept the figure, if much higher, look for the team to walk away.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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