Salary Arbitration for Fleury

by Dayna on Jun 14, 2008 9:50 AM EDT Comment 6 comments

Link: Fleury taken to salary arbitration by Pens.

So the Pens have chosen to take Fleury to salary arbitration, which, considering all of the signings they have to do in the next few weeks, is probably a good thing. In an article in the Post-Gazette Fleury's agent said he wasn't very surprised to hear it. This buys them time, and also ensures he won't become an RFA on July 1st.

Because it is the team that chose arbitration, and not the player, they will have to abide by the decision and sign him for whatever the decision is.

Things are starting to get interesting on the Penguins front again... hopefully some signings soon.

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Stupid Question

What exactly does salary arbitration mean? I believe for the short term it means that a third party will tell the Pens how much they have to pay him next season but what does it mean for the long term? Will he be a free agent next season?

by Jon Woods on Jun 15, 2008 6:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not a stupid question at all. We only hear about this stuff once a year so it’s easy to get lost in it.

Basically, the normal deadline for signing free agents is July 1. If a player isn’t signed by that day, they are free reign for anyone. A restricted free agent means a team has to meet whatever offer is given by another club if they want to keep him. For example, if Pittsburgh offered Fleury $5 mil a year, and then the Lightning offered him $6.5 mil a year, then Pittsburgh has to offer Fleury $6.5 mil a year if they want to keep him.

But when there is a situation of arbitration filings, the player and the club basically get an extension past the July 1 deadline to work out a deal. The team and the player are included in hearings (July 20ish – first week of August) in which a third party hears both sides of the story. Fleury can say something like “Well, I feel I’m worth $5 million a year because I took the team to the Cup” and then Penguins’ management can turn around and say “yeah, but you were hurt for a majority of the season, we want to give you $3.5.” Then the third party, who is overseeing the entire situation, can say “Based on what I’ve heard, I set Marc-Andre Fleury’s salary at $4.25 million a season.”

It’s like taking a ticket to court and having the judge cut down on the fines.

FrankD from Pensburgh.com

by FrankD on Jun 15, 2008 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Can the judge choose something in the middle? I know in some sports the judge has to side with either one or the other, the player or the team. He can’t choose a middle ground salary. Is it the same in hockey?

by Dayna on Jun 16, 2008 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think his job is more that of a moderator. He stands by and talks the highs low and the lows higher till they get to a settlement. Should none come out of the ordeal then the player goes to the open market.

I don’t think we’re allowed to hear about these settlements because it’s hush hush by the team and player. We hear about what they want and what the team will offer, but aside from that I think the rest is done behind closed doors.

FrankD from Pensburgh.com

by FrankD on Jun 16, 2008 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and can they sign the newly decided deal for more than one season?

by Jon Woods on Jun 18, 2008 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah they can work that out once an annual amount is determined. If it’s nowhere near what the player wants, or he STILL thinks he’s worth more, he may do something like a one-year or two-year deal straight up OR a mid-range 3- 5-year deal where he is eligible for an extension based on performance somewhere at the three year mark. The Predators did that with J.P. Dumont this past season.

FrankD from Pensburgh.com

by FrankD on Jun 18, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs