The arbitration period has come to an end with the final few players settling before the point of getting to a hearing. Those deals are included in the key stories from the past seven days.
Kings Re-Sign Last RFA: The Kings took care of their final remaining restricted free agent, signing winger Alex Laferriere to a three-year, $12.3MM contract. The 23-year-old has two full NHL seasons under his belt with his 2024-25 campaign being a solid one as he collected 19 goals and 23 assists in 77 games while working his way into being a regular in the top six. He also chipped in with a trio of helpers in their first-round playoff exit at the hands of Edmonton. Laferriere didn’t have salary arbitration eligibility this summer but he will when this deal expires in 2028. At that point, he’ll be a year away from unrestricted free agency.
Not Retiring Yet: While Nicklas Backstrom’s NHL contract quietly came to an end last month, his career isn’t over just yet as he has signed a one-year deal with SHL Brynas. The 37-year-old didn’t play at all last season and was limited to just eight games in 2023-24 after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, a procedure that ended his NHL career, one that saw him eclipse 1,000 points in a little over 1,100 games with Washington. Backstrom now returns to the program that he grew up in as he looks to extend his playing career a little longer.
Three For Samberg: The first player to get to the point of filing arbitration briefs, Dylan Samberg and the Jets had quite a gap to bridge. However, they were able to reach an agreement, working out a three-year, $17.25MM contract. The deal buys Winnipeg two extra years of team control while those two years will also see Samberg have a six-team no-trade clause. After being more of a depth player for his first few seasons in the NHL, the 26-year-old had a breakout season, logging over 21 minutes a night on the back end while becoming their most trusted shutdown defender. Samberg also had his best offensive season, collecting 20 points in 60 games plus three more in the playoffs when his ice time went past 24 minutes per contest.
Flames Extend A Forward: One player who didn’t need a new contract right away was Flames forward Martin Pospisil, whose bridge deal runs through the upcoming season. However, he has a new pact in place as the two sides agreed on a three-year, $7.5MM extension that runs through the 2028-29 campaign. The 25-year-old is coming off his first full NHL campaign but was quieter than expected offensively, notching just four goals in 81 games although he did add 21 assists. Pospisil was also one of the hit leaders league-wide last season, picking up 301 while spending a bit of time down the middle. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent when this deal expires.
More Arbitration Avoidances: Two more players also got contracts done to avoid an arbitration hearing. Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble reached a two-year, $2.825MM pact well before hearing submissions were due. He played in 56 games for the second straight season, collecting 13 points and 124 hits in a little under 15 minutes a night of playing time. Meanwhile, Toronto and winger Nicholas Robertson got to the point of exchanging pre-hearing numbers but settled the next day just above the midpoint on a one-year, $1.825MM contract. Robertson had a career-high 15 goals in 69 games last season but also spent time as a healthy scratch, especially during the playoffs when he only made three appearances. Both players will be arbitration-eligible RFAs at the end of their respective deals.
Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.