What Cam York not filing for arbitration means for Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman did not file for arbitration despite having the opportunity to do so. Let’s see what that means for York and his team.

With July 1 come and gone, there aren’t many important dates left on the hockey calendar until training camps open in a couple months. But, one just happened on Saturday afternoon and it had to do with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York.

On July 5, restricted free agents around the NHL, who were eligible to do so, had the option to file for arbitration. It’s not the easiest process — since it involves the player’s own team and people who want to give confidence to instill further development, poking holes in past performances and trying to show that the player is actually much worse than they think — but it can be a necessary evil for some negotiations. If there is a stalemate or a disagreement on one key part of a potential contract, players can elect to go to arbitration and receive either a one- or two-year deal at the agreed salary.

Announced by the NHLPA, a total of 11 restricted free agents opted to go through this process, and York was not among them.

https://x.com/NHLPA/status/1941604223927337097

So, that’s whatever — but what does it mean? There are a few things to take away from the fact that York was not one of the players that wanted to go through arbitration despite being able to do so.

Offer sheet eligibility

First, the most notable and first thing that most people bring up: It makes the player ineligible to sign an offer sheet. Written in the CBA, if a restricted free agent files for arbitration and takes the first step in this process to have a contract before next season, it makes teams ineligible to then try and steal them away with an offer sheet.

It makes perfect sense. It’s the beginning of a multi-month process and if the player was able to sign an offer sheet and have a new contract on a different team, it would feel messy. Something was started to figure out a contract between the player and Team A, and then Team B comes in and just whisks the player away and arbitration is done because they have a new contract already. Again, just messes things up and it makes sense why it’s not a possibility.

So, with York not filing for arbitration means that the young defenseman remains eligible for an offer sheet. We’re not saying that one is coming, but since young Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg was one player that did elect for arbitration, beyond Bowen Byram (who could get traded any minute now), it is certainly easy to see that York is the best defenseman eligible for an offer sheet. It’s not likely, since York still has some potential that he hasn’t put out in the NHL yet, but at the very least, the American blueliner is capable of eating minutes and playing solid, stabilizing hockey.

Now, the Flyers are in a good position, though. If York was to sign any offer sheet with the level of a second-round pick as compensation ($2.34 million to $4.68 million), the team would easily match and thank the other team for doing all the negotiating for them. With over $5.5 million in cap space (and that’s before Ivan Fedotov’s eventual demotion to the AHL) the Flyers can easily take that one.

Where it gets a little more difficult, is in the next tier. If an offer sheet was signed with an AAV anywhere from $4.68 million to $7.02 million, then the team would be giving up a first-round and a third-round pick. For York, that would be on the upper end of possible salaries and that is really where Philadelphia would need to make a decision. We’re sure it would depend on what the team is — an unprotected first rounder from San Jose compared to Colorado is very different — but that would be the decision the team needs to make. A couple good draft picks, or keep the young defenseman who is a blossoming part of your future core for slightly more money than you would offer.

Current negotiations

This is purely speculative, but maybe York not filing for arbitration is a very good thing and it means that the two sides are closing in on a deal. Why start this super long process if they could possibly announce something as soon as next week?

Again, we don’t know. Only York’s representatives and the Flyers know where they are at, and without arbitration coming, they could have very easily agree to something at any time.

Second buyout window

Another fun little run sewn into whether or not a restricted free agent elects for arbitration is the possibility of having a second buyout window for the team.

All 32 NHL teams have a buyout window from 48 hours after the Stanley Cup, to June 30. But, if the team has a player elect arbitration, a second buyout window opens up 72 hours after the arbitration is resolved and lasts for just 48 hours.

It’s not like the Flyers need this specifically, since there were not even rumors or rumblings or ponderings about this team buying out any contract during the initial period last month. And with their salary cap available, the only possible scenario where they would need to use this period (if York elected for arbitration in the first place) is if the arbitrator awarded the player with a massive contract that would put the Flyers above the salary cap. And, then the Flyers would not be able to find any trade partner for a player; therefore, forcing a necessary buyout of a player to stay compliant to the salary cap.

That is why this second buyout window exists, as a failsafe option, but even if York went through this process, we couldn’t see the Flyers even using this opportunity.

…And, that’s sort of it. For the Flyers, it’s really just the not-so-dangerous threat of an offer sheet that they still have to be warry of when it comes to York foregoing arbitration. Maybe, there is an outside chance that a team is in hot pursuit of Bowen Byram, trying to get the mobile defenseman to sign an offer sheet, and failing to then turn their attention to York. Reasoning to themselves — in this hypothetical world — that they were going to offer sheet a defenseman anyways, so might as well do it for the next-best option and figure it out.

But, hey, maybe adding York’s friend in Trevor Zegras to the team prevents the young blueliner from signing any offer sheet no matter what.

Let’s all just hope that this isn’t a lengthy negotiation. There is nothing fun or enjoyable about a contract negotiation.