The Philadelphia Flyers avoided a third-party ruling with Brayden Schenn, signing the breakout performer to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $20.5-million, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
Schenn's $5.125-million average annual hit is reasonable value for a 25-goal, near-60-point scorer on an upward trajectory, but Flyers general manager Ron Hextall did make concessions with this deal. Schenn was apparently asking for $5.5 million in arbitration, whereas Philadelphia had countered with roughly $4.3 million.
The contract was agreed upon moments before the scheduled arbitration hearing.
Schenn, 24, hit career highs across the board last year, emerging as first-line scoring threat. He played the last three-and-a-half months of the season as a point-per game contributor, totaling 44 points in 44 games to lead all Flyers.
He'll have the fourth-highest cap hit among Flyers, earning less than only Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Mark Streit. Roughly half his salary is insured in signing bonuses.
Philadelphia will have plenty of cap room to sign its last remaining restricted free agent, defenseman Brandon Manning.
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