Instead of working toward the multi-year deal that the player would no doubt prefer, the club has decided to roll the dice in club-elected salary arbitration and to let the chips fall where they may.
With Bernier’s arbitration scheduled for July 31st, let’s take a look at what might transpire if the arbitration goes ahead:
First off, there is a common misconception that by filing for Club-elected salary arbitration pursuant to Article 12.3, NHL clubs protect themselves from having an Offer Sheet extended to their player, under Article 10.3. This is partly, but not entirely, true.