Three weeks have passed since July 1st, when Islanders General Manager Matthew Dersch mentioned he was “very close” to finalizing deals with all restricted free agents, and no complications were anticipated.
By then, Alexander Romanov had already secured a five-year contract extension, validating Dersch’s expectations regarding Emil Heinemann, Simon Holmstrom, and Mark Gatcom.
However, it seems that Max Tsyplakov remains the lone issue before Dersch can take a well-deserved break, as the Russian winger applied for arbitration two weeks ago without reaching any agreement yet.
The NHL Players’ Association hasn’t announced the hearing dates for any of the 11 players who filed for arbitration, but the hearings are set to begin on Sunday and will run through August 4th.
Typically, it’s uncommon for situations to escalate to arbitration hearings. Out of 14 players who pursued arbitration last summer, only one—Nashville’s Spencer Stastony—actually had a hearing.
If it comes to that, it’s important to note that the arbitrator could grant Tsyplakov a one-year contract, as he will be just a year away from unrestricted free agency when he turns 26.
If Tsyplakov’s awarded amount exceeds $4.85 million, he would become an unrestricted free agent, but that would be quite an unusual assessment for a player who recorded 35 points during his rookie NHL season.
There might be two reasons for the current delay. First, deadlines are known to prompt action in the NHL, and the hearing date has yet to approach. Second, there’s a likelihood that Tsyplakov will be preoccupied this Saturday, which might take precedence over the negotiations.
It’s not a cap issue, as the Islanders currently have around $4 million in cap space, not factoring in Matthew Schaefer’s unsigned entry-level deal.
Tsyplakov’s rookie season has been a bit of a rollercoaster; he faced challenges in scoring at the same level he did in the KHL and spent much of the latter half of the season bouncing between the second and third lines.
Predictions by Evolving Hockey suggest he might receive an average annual value in two years, though his agents indicated back in February they were targeting around $3 million a year, a figure Tsyplakov himself quickly dismissed.
In contrast, the Islanders just granted Holmstrom, who netted twice the goals Tsyplakov did last season, a two-year contract worth $3.6 million per year while he has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
There’s little indication this situation will escalate to a move, but Dersch has previously demonstrated a willingness to take a firm stance in negotiations. He was clear about wanting to re-sign Noah Dobson, yet when the defender’s camp didn’t budge from their demands, the Islanders traded him to Montreal right before the draft.
