Golden Knights’ Keegan Kolesar Files for Salary Arbitration

The NHL’s Player Association listed all players who have filed for salary arbitration, and among them was Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar.

Kolesar, 25, just wrapped up his second season with the Golden Knights in which he posted seven goals and 24 points in 77 outings. The six-foot-two, 221-pound winger is regarded as a solid bottom-six player who is tough as nails and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves in defense of his teammates. He is coming off of a two-year contract which carried an average annual value of just $750,000, and is likely in line for a raise.

Keegan Kolesar filing for arbitration means that the two sides will now have a third-party negotiator, and will result in a decision between July 27 and Aug. 11. If the Golden Knights are not in agreement with what number the negotiator comes up with, they can choose to let Kolesar walk as an unrestricted free agent, though that is unlikely to happen. With the current cap crunch they find themselves in, having an inexpensive player like him in their bottom six is exactly what they need, and while he likely has earned himself a raise, he will still come in at a relatively cheap price.