Following the main phase of NHL free agency, some players are still working to finalize their contracts.
The Buffalo Sabres have chosen salary arbitration for defenseman Bowen Byram, while the Utah Mammoth have done the same for forward Jack McBain, according to reports.
Teams were required to decide on arbitration-eligible players by Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. The deadline for players to file for arbitration themselves was Saturday, with 11 players doing so.
When a team elects arbitration, the player then determines the length of the resulting contract awarded by the arbitrator and is ineligible to sign an offer sheet.
Arbitration hearings are scheduled between July 20 and August 4. However, teams and players can continue negotiations and reach an agreement before a formal hearing takes place. The NHL and MLB are the only major North American sports leagues utilizing a salary arbitration system.
Bowen Byram, 24, was originally the fourth overall selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 draft. As a defenseman, he has accumulated 110 points (33 goals, 77 assists) over 246 career games. Buffalo acquired him in March 2024 in a trade involving forward Casey Mittelstadt.
Jack McBain, 25, was a third-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2018 draft. He was later traded to Arizona in March 2022 in exchange for a second-round pick. As a forward, he has recorded 82 points (35 goals, 47 assists) in 241 career games.
A total of 13 players are currently scheduled for salary arbitration.
Players Scheduled for Salary Arbitration
Player Elected:
- Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets)
- Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks)
- Drew Helleson (Anaheim Ducks)
- Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken)
- Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets)
- Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks)
- Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens)
- Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres)
- Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders)
- Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)
Team Elected:
- Jack McBain (Utah Mammoth)
- Bowen Byram (Buffalo Sabres)
