Welcome to silly season.
The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in the wee hours of Saturday morning, now, the offseason madness is in full swing. On Father's Day, the Colorado Avalanche elected to exercise team salary arbitration on center-winger Ryan O'Reilly.
According to TSN, the Avs had until 5pm EDT Sunday to opt for salary arbitration on O'Reilly and they.
COL has, in fact, elected club salary arbitration on Ryan O'Reilly. Had to be filed by 5 pm ET today. And it was.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 15, 2014O'Reilly, 23, earned $6.5 million in 2013-14.
You'll recall that the Calgary Flames signed O'Reilly to a two year, $10 million offer sheet in February 2013. The Avs wasted little time matching the Flames' offer.
Now that his two year contract has expired, O'Reilly will become RFA on July 1. The other 29 NHL clubs are still eligible to sign O'Reilly to an offer-sheet between July 1 and July 5 despite the filing, a change that was made in the collective bargaining agreement signed in January, 2013.
O'Reilly was moved to the wing by Patrick Roy in 2013-14 and he scored a career high 28 goals and added 36 assists in 80 games. His 64 points were also a career high. He also added 3 goals and 4 assists in 13 playoff games in 2014.
The Avs shocked the hockey world by climbing out of the NHL basement and into the playoffs in just one season. The emergence of 2013 first overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon, a center, forced ROR to adapt to and overcome hos position change. He passed that test with flying colors. With Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny playing at a high level at the pivot, O'Reilly had to be moved to the wing.
Originally selected by the Avalanche in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, O'Reilly has scored 73 goals and 118 assists in 345 career games with the club.
The Avs and O'Reilly can continue to discuss a new deal with O'Reilly's agent between now and the eventual arbitration hearing, which will likely occur in late July.
O’Reilly can be signed to an offer sheet between July 1-5.
According to Cap Geek.com, O'Reilly can opt for a one-or two-year arbitration award. The award cannot be less than 85 percent of player's 2013-14 salary. For ROR, that's a minimum award of $5.525 million.
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