from Ian Cooper at the Toronto Star,

The free agent sweepstakes ended in a flash and two of our favourite players (Radim Vrbata and Benoit Pouliot) found themselves a new home and a significant raise.

For those who can’t get enough hockey in July, the league has served up its next round of entertainment: the arbitration game.

What could be more exciting than following the stories of 23 players as they, their employers, and a phalanx of lawyers and agents slowly wend their way toward a settlement on the courtroom steps?

NHL salary arbitrations have detailed rules and a veneer of science to them as the combatants try to come up with “comparables” to assess a player’s worth.

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