July 25, 2016
The Flyers and forward Brayden Schenn avoided arbitration at the 11th hour, agreeing to terms on a four-year deal, the team announced Monday morning.
Schenn, who was scheduled for an arbitration hearing later Monday, reportedly turned down a two-year deal worth slightly more than $8.5 million over the weekend and seemed destined to head to arbitration. Had that been the case, the Flyers would have, at most, only been able to sign the 24-year-old forward to a one or two-year deal.
That report also stated that Schenn was seeking a contract that would pay him at least $5.5 million in the first year, twice what he made for the 2015-16 season. And while that may seem like a huge increase, Schenn did set career highs in goals (26), assists (33) and points last season, his fifth with the Flyers. His 26 goals were second on the team and his 59 points ranked third, behind only Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds.
Because he had some leverage in this situation, Schenn was able to get slightly more than that. While his new deal, reportedly worth $20.5 million over four years, will carry an average cap hit of $5.125 million, it will pay him $6 million in the first year, $5 million in both the second and third years, and just $4.5 million in the fourth and final year.
Now that Schenn is back in the fold, the Flyers' 50-man roster now now stands at 48 players. They'll still have to deal with Brandon Manning's arbitration case, but this latest contract leaves GM Ron Hextall with about $1.39 million to spend before hitting the salary cap, according to generalfanager.com.
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