Ottawa Senators LW Mike Hoffman Will File for Arbitration
By Ian Smith
In a move that was appearing to be increasingly likely, Ottawa Senators left winger Mike Hoffman has decided to file for arbitration.
The sides can still reach a deal before the arbitration hearing, but that appears unlikely, because clearly the sides remain far apart in negotiations if Hoffman is choosing to take the Senators to arbitration.
He filed for arbitration last season and lost at the hand of an independent arbitrator. Hoffman was seeking a 1 year deal worth $3.4 million, while the Senators were seeking a 1 year deal worth $1.75 million.
The independent arbitrator ended up siding closer to the team than Hoffman, and the speedy sniper was awarded a 1 year deal for $2 million.
Hoffman insisted that there were no hurt feelings, and responded by leading the team with 29 goals during the 2015-2016 season. Only 29 other players in the league lit the lamp as often as Hoffman did.
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The arbitration hearings will take place in Toronto from July 20th to August 4th. Hoffman is 1 of 24 players around the league to file for arbitration.
With how the league rules are set up for contract negotiations, a player can take a team to arbitration an unlimited number of times, but a team can only take a specific player to arbitration once.
This ensures that players have more freedom to assert their will and protest their worth. An independent arbitrator takes the final decision out of their hands, but at least they are allowed a strong negotiation tactic.
In Hoffman’s case, the Senators should rest easy on the fact that they have been getting Hoffman’s impressive production at a discount for the past 2 seasons.
During his last two years, Hoffman has a combined total of 56 goals. Hoffman made $750,000 during the 2014-2015 season.
The Senators have paid approximately $50,000 per goal that Hoffman has scored over the last 2 seasons. That’s an incredible rate for the team.
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Uncertainty will linger for the next few weeks before this matter gets resolved. Hoffman may feel undervalued by the team, but hopefully not by that independent arbitrator.