The St. Louis Blues and Connor McMichael seem headed towards the unpleasant prospect of salary arbitration. While it may seem that this seeming showdown is all about money and contracts, it’s actually about something bigger: Offer sheets.
Throughout NHL history, offer sheets were seen as the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. The idea of someone extending an offer sheet was akin to some rogue dictator acquiring a nuke on the black market and popping it off in the middle of a major city.
That’s not the case anymore. The Blues themselves were once that rogue dictator by extending the dual offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. That situation sort of normalized a new era in which offer sheets were frowned upon.
But it was the Philadelphia Flyers and the Leo Carlsson offer sheet that suddenly made the use of nuke-like weapons mainstream in today’s NHL. All of a sudden, GMs are looking over their shoulders, worried about who might have their team in their sights.
That’s what the Blues might face with McMichael. Filing for arbitration wasn’t about going to a hearing and clashing with one another about the next contract. It was a tacit understanding that McMichael was going to sign with the Blues.
You see, when a player files for arbitration, he is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet. So, if McMichael had his eye on another team, why would he negate himself the opportunity to sign an offer sheet?
This move was a gesture of goodwill. It was like when medieval knights raised their visors. McMichael and the Blues are on the same page. They just need to get on the same paragraph, word, and letter.
Blues live by the sword, die by the sword
The Blues are one of the teams that have lived by the sword over the years. The bold move to offer sheet Holloway and Broberg was not a direct affront to the Edmonton Oilers. It was a move designed to prey on a vulnerability.
And since the Blues have made bold moves like that themselves, it’s safe to say that other teams, other GMs could take a page out of their book. So, who’s to say the Blues aren’t going to die by the sword, too?
That’s why taking this proactive step, filing for arbitration, just allows everyone to buy time and enjoy life. There won’t be a threat of an offer sheet, at least involving Connor McMichael. In fact, arbitration will now become a thing for teams and RFAs wanting to show one another that there’s goodwill.
From now on, teams and players foregoing arbitration will be looked upon as suspicious, as it leaves the door open for an offer sheet. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in the NHL.
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