The Philadelphia Flyers still have several major contract questions to settle during a busy offseason, some of them out of their control.
That'd be the case with their biggest waiting game, which is linked to the Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Anaheim has until Friday to decide whether to match Philadelphia’s five-year, $90 million offer for the young center or take four first-round picks as compensation.
On the controllable side of free agency, the Flyers will have to handle two restricted free agents who played key roles last season. Forward Trevor Zegras is coming off a career resurgence in his first year with Philadelphia, while defenseman Jamie Drysdale took noticeable strides on both sides of the puck.
Both players have now pushed those contract talks into the next stage after entering restricted free agency on July 1.
Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The NHL Players' Association confirmed on Sunday that both Zegras and Drysdale filed for salary arbitration ahead of the 5 p.m. ET deadline.
Zegras had 26 goals and 67 points in his first season with the Flyers, setting career highs in both categories. He is coming off a three-year, $17.25 million contract with an average annual value of $5.75 million.
Drysdale, meanwhile, is coming off a three-year deal with a $2.3 million cap hit. The defenseman was just a reclamation project when he arrived from Anaheim, but he has developed into a reliable top-four option in Philadelphia.
Filing for arbitration does not mean either player is getting a new deal imminently. The Flyers can continue negotiating with them before a hearing takes place, with dates set for as early as July 20 and running through Aug. 1.
However, the move does create a clearer timeline for negotiations amid stalled conversations with both players.
The Flyers can still reach long-term agreements with both players before arbitration becomes necessary, which is the case with most cases similar to these in the NHL, and also places a bit of pressure on the franchise to get negotiations going.
Because Zegras and Drysdale filed themselves, they are no longer eligible to sign offer sheets from other teams. That also gives Philadelphia some protection while it waits for the Carlsson situation to resolve, depending on the Ducks' decision.
