Four players in the Carolina Hurricanes organization filed for arbitration, however, just one has yet to sign a contract to avoid arbitration. That player is forward Warren Foegele, whose arbitration hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Foegele is 24 years old and scored 13 goals and 30 points in 68 games with the Hurricanes this season. While Foegele isn’t due for a huge contract, he is a lock to get a raise ahead of the 2020-21 season. It’s just a matter of whether the dollar figure of that raise will be decided by the team and player or an independent arbitrator.
Often, arbitration is simply used as a tool for players to gain a bit of leverage with their contract negotiations. As a result, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see the Hurricanes re-sign Foegele before the scheduled hearing this week, rather than actually leaving the decision to an arbitrator. A two-year deal is maybe the most common bridge-deal for players in the middle of the lineup with a couple years of experience and if the Hurricanes do re-sign Foegele before Wednesday, a two-year deal could be the most likely option.
Before, I may have said Foegele could get around a $2 million AAV on a two-year deal but after seeing the market right now, I’m not so sure. If it’s a two-year deal, I’d probably expect the range to be $1.5 million to $1.75 million.
Unlike a lot of teams, the Hurricanes do have a bit of cap space left to ensure that whatever Foegele ends up getting, it shouldn’t be a problem for the team. That means if both sides actually do hold firm and leave it up to arbitration, it won’t be a concern for the Hurricanes. However, it shouldn't come as a surprise if we see a new deal worked out before then.
***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Hurricanes Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Canes for updates on articles, Hurricanes news, etc.***
Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
What would you expect Warren Foegele's AAV to be if he re-signs for two years before arbitration?
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»