Travis Zajac files for salary arbitration

Devils center Travis Zajac was among the 20 NHL players to file for arbitration before today's 5 p.m. deadline.

Zajac, a restricted free agent, earned $984,000 in 2008-09, but would likely win a significant raise after establishing career highs with 20 goals, 42 assists and 62 points this past season.

By filing for arbirtation, Zajac, 24, can no longer accept an offer sheet from another team. The Devils and Zajac can continue to negotiate up until the arbitrator issues his/her ruling (a contract for one or two years as elected by the Devils) with 48 hours after the hearing, which will be held in Toronto on a date between July 20 and Aug. 4 to be determined.

The Devils have the right to walk away from the arbirator's decision within 48 hours after the ruling is handed down, but Zajac would then become an unrestricted free agent.

{Sorry, it took me about an hour after the NHLPA released the list to get this up. I last checked my e-mail at 8 p.m. and the PA had not sent out the list yet. They sent it out at 8:16 p.m.}

Here's the full list of players that filed for arbitration.

Anaheim: James Wisniewski;  Atlanta: Colby Armstrong; Boston: Matt Hunwick; Buffalo: Clarke MacArthur; Carolina: Tuomo Ruutu; Chicago; Aaron Johnson; Columbus: Marc Methot; Detroit: Jiri Hudler; Edmonton: Denis Grebeshkov; Minnesota: Kyle Brodziak; Montreal: Tomas Plekanec; Devils: Travis Zajac; Islanders: Nate Thompson; Rangers: Ryan Callahan; Nikolai Zherdev; Phoenix: Nigel Dawes, Daniel Winnik; Tampa Bay: Matt Smaby; Vancouver: Kyle Wellwood; Washington; Milan Jurcina.

Comments

[devs10]

And this means???!!!

[steve]

Better sign him long term

[Jeff in Hoboken]

Travis needs to step it up next season. Glad he's gonna be back.

[modnarm]

i'm thinking that this is a good thing..

[Mike O.]

Hopefully Lou gets him signed before a hearing....

[killak]

best offseason ever.Lou like usual low balling are core members.if this goes to hearing we can lose zajac next year because he will be a UFA after next season.

[aarrgghhhh]

it means if he doesn't sign a deal before the arbitration hearing, an arbitrater
sets his value for (likely) the next two seasons. I don't understand why the gap would be so big that he's looking for arbitration, because you'd have to assume a Devils lowball would be $2.5M or so.

he'd still be an RFA at the end of the arbitration deal, as he will not go to UFA until after the 2011-12 season.

[Bartosz]

i hope we sign trav for long term contract

[aarrgghhhh]

of course, barring a change in the rules after the current CBA expires in 10-11.

[aarrgghhhh]

no, he cannot go UFA after next season. if you're going to complain, at least know the rules

[Pete]

Exactly how much does Zajac think he's worth? It better be because Zajac wants a lot and not because Lou is lowballing him. He had no problem throwing money at Zubrus, there's no excuse for not getting the Zajac deal done--unless, like I said, it's coming from Zajac's end because his agent like every other agent in the world thinks their client deserves a 27 year deal with 145 million per season.

[Mike O.]

Based on Zajac's raise...Martin being a UFA next year....and Parise needing to be signed to a LONG term contract either next year or the following, something needs to be done to get rid of Zubrus & White or else we are going to wind up losing these players in the future.

[jules]

@killak: Not sure how you can blame Lou for this one. He did qualify Zajac; Zajac's just not happy with the qualifying offer. It's just a threat, they'll probably get something done before the hearing. But what if Travis thinks he's worth more than Parise? Why should Lou pay up?

[Mike O.]

3 years $8 million seems fair to me......now I'm glad we didn't sign any FA's...we need to focus on keeping out core together.

[Jim B]

Scotty Gomez filed for arbitration, got a one yr deal, and left the next summer to NY

[Puckster]

At least this will kill the Montreal Canadian offer sheet rumor, which was pretty silly to begin with.

[DH]

It's negotiation, people freak out too much. I can't see Zajac earning more than Parise though.

[Jim B]

At least he will be back next yr however, but Lou really has to lock him down long term, even if he doesn't score 30 goals and 90 points, he is a very good two way center and will only become a better all around hockey player as he gets older

[aarrgghhhh]

Jim, because he was eligble to become a UFA. Zajac IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO BECOME A UFA.

he's trying to establish value here. I'm guessing he was probably offered something like 3-$8/9M and balked. which is pretty stupid on his fault. I would guess he would say $5M per, the Devils will probably retreat to $2M per. likely ruling would probably shoot the middle at $3.5M-4M, but I could see him losing because he can only really point to one season with good numbers, centering a dominant player.

it is an a-hole move by Zajac's agent because it has to be a negotiable gap. I would consider looking to move him.

[Zack]

If you all honestly believe Zajac is going to be lowballed and bounce because he's going to arbitration, you truly all have the confidence of Chicken Little.

Based on the refusal to give an offer to Madden and Gionta, Lou has made it clear that Zajac is top priority at this juncture. A deal will get done, so relaaaaaaaaaaaaax.

[Xander Crews]

Everyone calm down... this is even going to go to arbitration. This is just a formality that will make so he cant get offer sheets and to put preasure on the Devils to make him an offer. Im 99.9% sure Lou will work out a deal before it gets to the hearing.

[Put it THIS way]

I hope the guy who said 3 years/8m sounds fair to him isnt acutally for real.

He's going to get nothing less than 3.5M/year, so keep dreaming. Especially if people like Gionta - who already have reached their full potential and are going downwards; are earning 5m a year

[Jeff O.]

Agreed, Zack. The fact that Lou didn't even talk to Gionta and Madden means he made Oduya and Zajac top priorities this offseason. There is plenty of time between now and when the hearing can be scheduled. I really do believe that Lou and Zajac (and his agent) will come to and agreement before then. Otherwise, Lou puts himself in a very sticky situation, but I am confident that a deal will be done before a hearing. You guys just need to take a step back and chill out. Zajac will be with us for a long time to come. I trust that Lou will get this all straightened out.

[TG]

Under the current CBA, Zajac is not eligible to become an unrestricted free agent until his 27. He is currently 24. (It's seven years of NHL experience or 27 years old, whichever comes first).

The CBA expires after the 2010-11 season, though, at which time Zajac will be 26.

That's one of the reasons I would guess that the Devils request a two-year contract award from the arbitrator.

[DevsfaninPGH]

The filing is a formality; nothing to worry about now. If they actually go to arbitration its a bad sign for Zajac being a long term Devil. It seems most players who go to arbitration, leave as soon as they're able. Perhaps its something about sitting in a room where the team is arguing that you're not worth that much.

And yes, the people who think he deserves less than $3 mil becuase he made less than $1 mil last year are delusional.