Defenseman Chris Campoli and winger Viktor Stalberg both filed for arbitration Tuesday as their camps and the Blackhawks continue to negotiate new deals for the restricted free agents.
Tuesday was the deadline for player-elected arbitration. Winger Michael Frolik, also a restricted free agent of the Hawks, is not eligible for arbitration. The deadline for club-elected arbitration is Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The date of Campoli’s and Stalberg’s hearings will be announced at a later date. But all hearings will be held in Toronto from July 20 to Aug. 4.
The Hawks can avoid arbitration by signing Campoli and Stalberg before their hearings. Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said recently he was “confident” he could sign all three of his restricted free agents in “short order.”
Campoli, 27, filed for arbitration last summer with the Ottawa Senators, but reached a new deal before meeting with an arbiter. This is the first time Stalberg, 25, was eligible.
Campoli made $1.4 million last season. He helped solidify the Hawks’ blue line after being acquired from the Senators before the trade deadline.
Campoli had one goal, seven points and a plus-3 rating in 19 games for the Hawks. He also committed the turnover that led to Alex Burrows’ game-winning overtime goal in Game 7 of the Hawks’ first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Stalberg, who carried a $850,000 cap hit last season, scored 12 goals and totaled 24 points in his first full NHL season after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer in the Kris Versteeg trade.
The Hawks have gone to arbitration twice in their history. Last year, they famously decided to walk away from Stanley Cup-winning goalie Antti Niemi and his $2.75 million award. In 2006, the Hawks accepted the award for winger Kyle Calder, but then traded him.
