When the St. Louis Blues announced they were taking forward Vladimir Sobotka to team-elected arbitration, many fans thought there was another Colorado Avalanche-Ryan O’Reilly situation developing.
As it turns out, that’s not the case at all. Instead, the Blues opting to use this option to get the 27-year-old signed makes sense for everyone involved as Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared.
As Rutherford lays it out, the Blues will be paying Sobotka at least $1.4 million next season (the CBA mandates this as it was what he made in the final year of his deal) as this brand of arbitration (there are two types) isn’t meant to lower his salary.
In the Avs’ case with O’Reilly, they are trying to knock down what they’ll pay him next year. Just that difference is enough to keep the acrimony down between St. Louis and Sobotka.
Much like when a player opts to go to arbitration with a team, the Blues are trying to guarantee a resolution by early August when hearings wrap up. This ensures no time at training camp or in the regular season is missed over a contract dispute. However, since the team took Sobotka to arbitration, he can choose whether he gets a one or two-year deal from the reward.
It’s a cover-your-butt move by the Blues and GM Doug Armstrong because they don’t want to run the risk of either losing Sobotka on an offer sheet or having a dispute go long-term. Chances are both sides get a deal worked out before ever heading to court, but in the end it’s not as dire of a situation as you might believe.