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Interesting players who didn’t file for arbitration

Pittsburgh Penguins v Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 20: Danny DeKeyser #65 of the Detroit Red Wings skates with the puck during the first period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena on March 20, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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The NHLPA released a list of 20 players who filed for salary arbitration on Saturday, yet there were a few interesting names that didn’t make it on that list (for whatever reasons).

Feel free to share other noteworthy RFAs who didn’t file in the comments, but here are a few of the more intriguing players who decided to ignore that process altogether:

Sutter, 25, scored 13 goals and 26 points while averaging 15:56 minutes per game in 81 contests last season.


  • Minnesota Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper is another name that pops out (thanks to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Michael Russo). The 24-year-old had a very nice regular season and looked good before being injured in the playoffs, but with just 40 NHL games (32 regular season, 8 postseason) on his resume, he probably wouldn’t have had a great case.
  • The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeremy Rutherford believes that Vladimir Sobotka’s decision not to file is a good sign that he might reach a deal with the St. Louis Blues soon.
  • The Detroit Red Wings might be a little relieved to avoid the process with defenseman Danny DeKeyser (pointed out by MLive.com’s Ansar Khan).

In his second season with the Red Wings, the 24-year-old defenseman averaged 21:38 per game, the second highest total behind Niklas Kronwall (24:19). DeKeyser scored a solid 23 points in 65 games, making him a nice bargain at $1.35 million (after performance bonuses). That could be an interesting RFA negotiation process to watch this summer.
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Again, this isn’t a comprehensive list. If there are any names that stand out (note: not every RFA is eligible for salary arbitration), feel free to point some out in the comments.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins