ARBITRATION - THE REAL DEMON OF THE CBA

With all of the recent outrage and attention being paid to offer sheets by scores of hockey fans (including yours truly), it has become the focal point of the CBA this summer. Many seem to think that the loophole in the current agreement needs to be changed next time around. I, for one, don’t mind the offer sheet so much. I think if used right it is a useful tool for competing GM’s to keep their counterparts on their toes and their houses in order as well as an avenue for them to acquire players. The part of the CBA that has always bugged me (one that seems to be overlooked) is arbitration. This is the aspect of the CBA that needs to be changed. Arbitration is a lose-lose situation for each side with ripple effects that cause deep wounds that can’t be fixed. For those unfamiliar with the process, when a team and its player files for arbitration they go to a hearing where both sides plead their cases for what they think is a fair price to pay or be paid for services. The case is heard and an arbitrator awards a decision that the player must accept and the team has a choice to accept or walk away from leaving the player a free agent. The majority of the time the team accepts the decision weather or not they like the outcome so as to not lose the player. The problems start in the hearing where the team feels the player isn’t worth the money they are asking and tries to show proof backing their case which in turn leaves a player with a bad feeling about how the team perceives their service. Then the player tries to show proof of why they are worth the money they are asking citing the salaries of comparable players and weighing that against their production. Imagine for a moment if you had to do that at your workplace. Picture your boss or your employee sitting across a table from you and both of you hashing out weather or not the employee is worth the salary they are getting or asking for. Just how nasty would it get in that room? How would you feel leaving that room (after an outside arbitrator awards his decision) knowing that you now have to go about your business? In hockey, most arbitration awards are for 1 year unless the sides choose to go for a longer term. Most of the time the team accepts the decision and leaves the hearing with a bad feeling that the player is being paid more than they are worth. The player leaves the hearing with a bad feeling about how management feels about their work. There are no winners when it comes to arbitration. Even if the decision favors one side or the other (most of the time it lands somewhere in the middle) the damage is done and the player usually leaves the team the first chance they get. Now, a smart GM (I know that’s somewhat of an oxymoron) will file their player for arbitration to protect them against offer sheets from other teams and then work hard to sign them before the case goes to a hearing to avoid the process. Take the recent situation the Ottawa Senators were in with goaltender Ray Emery. They knew he was do a raise and was a prime target for an offer sheet from a rival team, so they protected him by filing for arbitration and then re-signed him before the hearing. The result is happy team and happy player. Now take the Rangers situation with Sean Avery where the team knew he was due a raise, filed for arbitration and went to the hearing where both sides battled it out. Avery was left with a bad feeling and most likely won’t re-sign next year knowing just how management feels about him. Look at last season’s case involving the Sabres and Daniel Briere. They went to arbitration, he was awarded a 1-year deal, the team accepted and yet he left the first chance he got. It makes you wonder just what was said in that hearing that would make a co-captain of a winning team go out and have the best season of his career and jump ship as a first choice instead of re-signing. I don’t even want to get into last nights decision between the Kings and Mike Cammalleri, that’s going to be a 2- year mess if not handled right. Yes folks, it is arbitration that should be receiving the outrage and attention and not offer sheets. It should be a major focus for both sides when the current CBA expires, one that needs to be removed for the better of the game and all parties involved including the fans.

SNIFFING OUT NEWS FROM AROUND THE RINK

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still having trouble clearing cap space to sign UFA Mike Peca. They would love to move checking forward Matt Stajan, as they have been trying to do since last seasons trade deadline, again at the draft and throughout the off-season but have found no takers.

The Montreal Canadiens are said to be interested in re-acquiring veteran defenseman Patrice Brisebois. According to his agent an offer has been made, but it is too early to speculate on his return to the Habs.

The fallout from the Bruins recent acquisition of Carl Soderberg from the Blues in the Hannu Toivonen trade leaves them with a log jam at center. This is fueling rumors having the B’s moving prospect Ben Walter. It would make more sense for the Bruins to simply move Patrice Bergeron or Phil Kessel to wing to clear the jam at center.

Keep an eye out for the Red Wings looking into taking a chance on Peter Forsberg if he finds little interest from any of his former teams in bringing him back. That is of course if he even plans to come back at all.

It seems as though Rangers GM Glen Sather is playing hardball with forward Sean Avery in his arbitration brief that will be presented today at the hearing. Sather calls Avery “a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team”. These comments have left Avery surprised and angry. Avery is looking for a salary in the neighborhood of $2.6 mil. and Sather is said to be offering $1.3 mil. Gotta love arbitration!

So the brothers Stall were among a group of disorderly bachelor partiers arrested in the morning on Saturday. As it may be an embarrassing incident for the Stall brothers and the league, at least they weren’t caught dog fighting.

Ducks GM Brian Burke may be upset with Kevin Lowe over the offer sheet, but “classless” it isn’t. “Legal” it is. So he should take his lumps, learn his lesson and move on. Being upset is okay, but remember how much time you had to re-sign your player before the offer was made, that is where you failed.

Here’s hoping that the Los Angeles Kings will handle things right with their leading scorer Mike Cammalleri. It would be a shame if they end up with ill feelings on either side going through an arbitration hearing. It would be wise of them to try to avoid such a thing and sign him before it’s too late.

Rumors have the Dallas Stars interested in bringing in Dave Taylor to fill a spot in the front office. It would be a wise move on their part as Taylor brings an excellent track record with him. It does seem weird though to think of Taylor being somewhere other than L.A.

On a personal note: I’m not liking the “new style” uniforms very much. What the hell am I going to do with the 40+ “instant retro” ones hanging in my closet? Oh, well “the times they are a changing” I guess I have to go with the flow. I still love my Quebec Nordiques jersey the best anyway!!