Arbitration List: Niemi Leads 30 Others to Battle
Exactly 31 players filed for salary arbitration today, excluding the playoff hero Jaroslav Halak.
Antti Niemi should get his due raise and the Hawks certainly prepared for it by shipping most of their bottom six to the Eastern Conference. With Halak settling for under four million a season the Finnish rookie probably has no other choice to take similar money.
Other love-able fantasy players include Ian White, Matt Moulson, Tomas Fleischmann, Mason Raymond and Daniel Carcillo who all could conceivably break out.
For some teams, arbitration puts a rift between the player and management as the hearings can get quite honest. Expect a few of these teams to walk away from a reward they deem undeserving while other players may be scapegoats by not earning their heavier paycheck.
For the record the Atlanta Thrashers, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers lead all teams with three players each.