Ducks Fans Shouldn’t Worry About Terry’s Arbitration

The arbitration process can be nerve-wracking, as it represents an impasse between player and team. But Ducks fans shouldn’t be concerned with Terry filing for arbitration. While it can be an ugly process, it rarely gets past the point of irreparable harm. Not to mention, Terry is a significant part of the Ducks’ future and figures to have a prominent role as the Ducks turn the corner and become a competitive team again.

Arbitration Can Get Ugly

To give an idea of just how uncommon arbitration hearings are, 26 players filed for arbitration last year, and only one made it to the hearing. But if a deal doesn’t get done before the actual arbitration date, the process can get a little uncomfortable. In this situation, both would appear before an independent arbitrator with their respective salaries and make their case. In these cases, the team is pressing for a lower salary, so their arguments will boil down to how a player simply isn’t worth the money they’re asking for.

After a breakout 2021-22 season, Terry’s 2022-23 year was a slight letdown. He co-led the team in goals with 23, but it was a far cry from his 37-goal campaign a year earlier. Reasons for the drop in production are varied — he appeared in five fewer games, he was subject to constant line shuffles within the top two lines, and the team around him was a disaster. For arbitration, the Ducks would simply argue he isn’t a 35+ goal scorer. He got hurt a few times in the second half of the season, including a two-week stint on injured reserve in February. As a result, the Ducks could argue there are durability concerns. Because of the potential nastiness of a hearing, it’s in both club’s best interest to get a deal done beforehand.

Ducks Arbitration History

There have been instances in the past where teams won’t even extend qualifying offers for players who have decent arbitration cases. This year, the Seattle Kraken didn’t qualify Daniel Sprong after an impressive 46-point season in 66 games. He would have been due a considerable raise from his $750,000 salary, and general manager Ron Francis admitted the threat of arbitration played a role in their decision. Sprong has since signed a $2 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because it was a similar situation to Sonny Milano’s departure from Anaheim a year prior. Anaheim has been fortunate enough to avoid arbitration hearings in the past. The last time the club needed arbitration was in 2012 with Kyle Cumiskey. They’ve only had three players in the last six years file for arbitration, and all have been settled prior to the hearing. Their most recent settlement was with Isac Lundestrom last year, Pat Verbeek’s first offseason in Anaheim and our only example of his handling of RFAs.

What Will Terry’s Contract Look Like

When the dust settles, I am fairly confident Terry will have a long-term and lucrative contract with the Ducks. He is a significant part of the organization’s future. He has been one of the few consistent goal-scoring threats on the roster in recent years and figures to maintain a prominent role in the top six. Not to mention, he’s still my top choice to become Anaheim’s next captain.

What does Terry’s next contract look like? Fellow THW Ducks’ contributor Jordan Reinhardt thinks Tage Thompson’s contract is a solid comparable, and I agree. Both players are late bloomers that have developed into their team’s primary scoring threat. Thompson signed a 7-year, $49 million deal after breaking out, and the Ducks should have no problem putting Terry in a similar tax bracket. As it stands, the Ducks are $8 million under the salary cap floor this year, and the cap should start to see larger year-to-year increases after the player’s escrow debt is cleared. My guess is that Terry signs a 6-year deal for $42 million ($7 million per year).