As reported by Tim Wharnsby of CBS Sports, the Philadelphia Flyers have offered Brayden Schenn a two-year contract. With player elected arbitration, the team is allowed to choose to send either a one-year, or two-year contract offer, per General Fanager. In this case, the contract that the Flyers sent to Schenn would pay him $4.25 million for the 2016-17 season, and $4.37 for the 2017-18 season. The reported numbers also indicated that Schenn himself is asking for a one-year contract worth $5.5 million.
#Flyers Brayden Schenn
Club offer: 16-17: $4.25m
17-18: $4,369,425
Player asking:16-17: $5.5m— Tim Wharnsby (@TimWharnsby) July 23, 2016
The Flyers offer would take Schenn all the way to unrestricted free agency, while Schenn’s request would give him one more year as a restricted free agent. A one-year deal would also allow Schenn to post another solid season, forcing a bigger contract sooner than later. In 80 games last season, Schenn scored 26 goals and 59 points while adding two assists in six playoff games. His 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points were all career highs, as was his plus-three rating.
The Flyers have been trending downward in goals-for over the last few seasons and recorded their lowest total (214) since the 2006-07 season, excluding the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. Schenn’s 26 goals were second on the team, his 59 points were third on the team, and his plus/minus rating was eighth on the team. It’s clear that the Flyers would be losing a lot of offensive output without Schenn in their lineup, and a contract should get done to appease both sides. As is the case with most arbitration hearings, a deal could be reached between the team and player prior to the ruling being announced.