Is it a surprise Ross Colton has not signed an extension with the Colorado Avalanche yet? Yeah, a little bit. Should people start to panic?
Not at all.
On Wednesday, the NHLPA announced that 22 players around the league had filed for salary arbitration, and Colton happens to be one of those players who filed. Salary arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4. This is not a huge surprise. Arbitration is one of the few leverages players have when it comes to contract negotiations, and it makes sense that Colton filed.
I would be very surprised if it got to that point, though.
The majority of players that file for salary arbitration settle before their case is heard. Last year, 26 players filed for arbitration. Only one actually went through the entire process. Anyone who files for arbitration is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet.
By filing for arbitration, it sets a clear deadline on when a contract extension needs to be done, and assures that everything is completed well before training camp.
After the Avalanche acquired Devon Toews back in 2020, he filed for salary arbitration as well. Three days before Toews and the Avalanche were set to meet in court, they settled on a 4-year, $16.4 million contract extension.
Things can get ugly if it gets to arbitration, but I’d be surprised if it got that far. With how the NHL schedule worked out this year, the draft and free agency were jammed together, so there probably hasn’t been much time for both parties to come together on an extension. Colorado would not have acquired Colton if they didn’t see him as an important piece moving forward.
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