Pavel Buchnevich and Jacob Trouba File for Salary Arbitration
The move will allow the Rangers to use the second buyout window if needed.
Pavel Buchnevich and Jacob Trouba have filed for salary arbitration, and both will have the opportunity to plead their case before a third-party arbiter; if things actually get that far.
Arbitration-eligible RFAs can file for arbitration today. NHL will announce the names of players who have filed at 5 p.m. Pavel Buchnevich has filed. He had a career high 21 goals in 2018-19, in 64 games. This means the Rangers will be able to open a second buyout window.
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinASteph) July 5, 2019
Jacob Trouba also filed for salary arbitration. Trouba, 25, played under a one-year, $5.5 million deal last season in Winnipeg and scored eight goals and 42 assists (50 points).
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinASteph) July 5, 2019
This isn’t a terrible thing for the Rangers, as they will now have the availability to utilize the second buyout window; something they may need to do if they are unable to free up cap room via trade.
As for Buchnevich, I wouldn’t be surprised if he reaches a deal with the Rangers before arbitration. It is in his best interest to take a bridge deal, as he ended the season on a high note and will be in position to be more productive this season.
My guess is he will ask for something around $3.5 million, the Rangers counter with $2.5 million, and both sides eventually meet in the middle at $3 million. This figure would be similar to the $2,475,000 got per year on a two-year bridge coming off his ELC based on cap percentage.
Buchnevich has posted a line of 43-58-101 in 179 games (0.56 P/GP), and has averaged 14:40 a game. Kreider’s ELC saw him post a line of 40-46-86 in 169 games (0.50 P/GP), and he averaged 14:57 a game. Overall I don’t foresee the two sides having an issue, and he ultimately was the most logical player of the three to file.
Trouba has gone through the process before, but I wouldn’t expect it to happen again since the Rangers have been having conversations with his agent. It has been reported than he’s likely to sign a seven-year deal in the ballpark of $7.5 to $8 million.
The Rangers haven’t reached an actual hearing since 2009, and that’s when Nikolai Zherdev asked for $3.9 million a year. The arbiter ruled in his favor, but the team walked away after previously offering him $3.25 million. It was an odd situation considering Zherdev was fresh off a 23-goal, and 58-point campaign.
Vinni Lettieri is also eligible for arbitration, but he isn’t in much of a position to gain anything from the process — given his limited NHL experience — and he’ll likely get something within the range of $1,000,000 that can be buried in Hartford.
The full list of players filing will be released after the 5:00 p.m. deadline today, and there’s a chance Lettieri files as well. But as noted above; don’t expect the Rangers to sit for a hearing.
*Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect news that Jacob Trouba also filed for arbitration.
