14 Players Elect for Arbitration, Cannot Accept Offer Sheet

Friday was the deadline for NHL restricted free agents who are eligible, to elect for salary arbitration. 14 players have chosen to go that route, but with that, it means that they are not eligible to receive offer sheets and cannot negotiate with other teams.

Per @NHLPA⁩, 14 players elect salary arbitration. The club-elected deadline is tomorrow. Hearing are July 20-Aug 4 pic.twitter.com/0273XsrGWo
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 5, 2024

Clubs can still elect for salary arbitration until Saturday at 5:00pm ET.

The most notable name on the list is Martin Necas. The two-time 20+ goal scorer has told the Carolina Hurricanes privately (and his father has, publicly) that he wants a fresh start elsewhere, and the team has been engaged in trade talks for several weeks now, but to no avail. And now an offer sheet is off the table.

The 25-year-old forward has been playing on a $3 million cap hit for the past two seasons, and has a qualifying offer of $3.5 million. But after compiling 52 goals and 124 points in that span, he'll be due a heftier raise. Some feel that Necas could be easier to trade once he has a new contract in hand, for some cost certainty for the team that acquires him.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is another big name on this list, after a season in which he took over the top job between the pipes for the Buffalo Sabres. His qualifying offer of $971,250 would be far surpassed in arbitration, or if the two sides can come to an agreement before then. The 24-year-old recorded a .910 save percentage, a 2.57 goals against and five shutouts in 51 games started (54 played).

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren has the largest qualifying offer on this list, at $3.6 million. A rock-solid member of the New York Rangers blueline, Lindgren has been on a 3-year, $9 million contract. For the 5th straight season as a regular on the Blueshirts' blueline, he recorded a positive plus/minus rating, this season at +22, putting him as +105 since his first full year.

Hearings will be set for between July 20th and August 4th.