The Golden Knights and defenseman Nate Schmidt appeared before a Toronto arbiter Thursday to settle the contract dispute between the expansion team and the restricted free agent.
There’s still time to broker a deal before the arbiter rules Saturday. Schmidt is seeking a one-year, $2.75 million deal while the Knights are offering $1.9 million over two years. Schmidt made $875,000 last season as a member of the Washington Capitals.
Of the 30 NHL players who filed for arbitration, only Schmidt made it to Toronto for a hearing. He scored three goals and had 14 assists in 60 games for the Capitals in 2016-17 and was claimed by the Knights from Washington in the NHL Expansion Draft June 21.