Something rare happened on Thursday: a salary arbitration hearing actually happened as scheduled.
The Vegas Golden Knights and defenseman Nate Schmidt appeared before a Toronto arbiter today, according to a report by Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Carp reports that the two sides are seeking the following parameters:
Schmidt: one year, $2.75 million.
Golden Knights: two years, $1.9 million.
These processes can sometimes be brutal, bringing certain players to tears. This case might be a little different, as Vegas selected Schmidt via the expansion draft. There isn’t quite the same development history since he was a member of the Washington Capitals, although Vegas GM George McPhee likely has some familiarity with Schmidt from his late Caps days.
The two sides still have 48 hours to hash something out before the arbiter actually makes a ruling on Saturday.