Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale Settles in NHL Salary Arbitration Ahead of Hearings

NHL salary arbitration hearings are set to kick off next week, but the Philadelphia Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale has already secured his future, becoming the ninth player to reach a settlement. On Friday, July 17, Drysdale agreed to a four-year contract that will see him earn an average of $6.5 million per year. His scheduled hearing was slated for Monday, July 20.

In tandem with Drysdale’s agreement, teammate Trevor Zegras also settled for a four-year deal averaging $9.125 million, finalizing his contract on Wednesday. Early settlements have become a common trend as players and teams aim to avoid the arbitration process, which runs from July 20 to August 1 in Toronto.

Several other players have also reached agreements prior to their arbitration dates. Notable settlements include St. Louis Blues forward Connor McMichael, Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, Buffalo Sabres forward Payton Krebs, New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Robertson, and Ottawa Senators prospect Xavier Bourgault.

This year, a total of 15 restricted free agents opted for arbitration to determine their contracts. During this process, both sides submit salary requests, and while an arbitrator can choose either figure, they often award a sum that lies between the two proposed amounts. One of the most anticipated cases is that of Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, who is coming off a stellar 96-point season and is expected to command a significant raise from his previous $7.75 million contract.

As the arbitration window approaches, here’s a summary of the settlements reached so far:

• Monday, July 20: Jamie Drysdale, Philadelphia (settled, four years, $6.5 million average); Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg (settled, five years, $6 million average)
• Wednesday, July 22: Trevor Zegras, Philadelphia (settled, four years, $9.125 million average)
• Thursday, July 23: Jet Greaves, Columbus
• Saturday, July 25: Xavier Bourgault, Ottawa (settled, one year, $850,000); Jason Robertson, Dallas; Connor McMichael, St. Louis (settled, six years, $6.75 million average)
• Monday, July 27: Cole Sillinger, Columbus
• Tuesday, July 28: Nick Robertson, Pittsburgh (settled, two years, $3.5 million average)
• Wednesday, July 29: Braden Schneider, N.Y. Rangers (settled, one year, $5.5 million); Ronan Seeley, Carolina
• Thursday, July 30: Alex Jefferies, N.Y. Islanders; Kirby Dach, Montreal (settled, one year, $3.6 million)
• Saturday, August 1: Akira Schmid, Florida; Peyton Krebs, Buffalo (settled, four years, $4.5 million average)

Drysdale’s new contract marks a significant increase from his previous average of $2.3 million, reflecting his contributions, including two power play goals in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Krebs has also seen a considerable jump in his earnings, securing a four-year, $26 million deal after a career-best season.

With the arbitration period just around the corner, teams are keen to finalize negotiations and avoid the uncertainty of the arbitration process.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.