Russian forward Jakov Trenin is not satisfied with the result of the arbitration, which awarded him a two-year contract with an annual salary of 1.7 million dollars in the NHL.
Nashville to Trenin originally offered two-year contract with an annual salary of 1.35 million. However, the 25-year-old forward demanded a contract for only one year and a salary of 2.4 million.
The two sides did not find a common ground even after two months of negotiations. So Trenin asked for help from an independent court that decides in similar cases. The result is a two-year contract with an annual salary of 1.7 million dollars (about 41 million crowns).
The Russian attacker thus improved by almost a million compared to the previous score, but he is not satisfied. “I think we lost the case,” he began. “Like the club, we had a comparison with a player who got a two-year contract with an annual salary of 1.8 million. Our stats are almost the same, but I defend better and I’m better at breaking down and overpowering. That’s why it’s strange that they gave me less money than him.”
“Overall, I’m angry because I didn’t want the arbitration to happen at all. But it happened and we lost the trial,” added Trenin.
He has been working in Nashville since 2015, when the club selected him in the second round of the draft. However, he made his way to the NHL for a relatively long time. He shone only last season, when he scored 24 points, including 17 goals, in 80 games. He then added three more hits in four playoff races.
In addition, he successfully engaged in black work. He toiled away, dishing out body shots, blocking shots and getting into fistfights. He even challenged the long-armed giant Zden Chara to a fight, for the second time in his career.
After the year of his life, he reached a salary similar to that of Czech strikers David Kämpf and Ondřej Kaše, who receive 1.5 million, i.e. 200 thousand less.
Trenin’s arbitration took four hours with breaks. Each side first presented their point of view and then responded to the opposing side’s claims. The court’s decision came after several days.
In the NHL, arbitration is considered a last resort when negotiating a new contract, as it can disrupt the relationship of the parties involved. Logical. Club representatives usually passionately argue why the given hockey player should receive as little money as possible. In a way, they bring him down.
The case of Tommy Sala from 1997 is legendary. The Swedish goalkeeper then appeared before an independent court to prove that he deserved more than 300 thousand dollars for his performances. However, Mike Milbury, the infamous general manager of the New York Islanders, had a different opinion. He turned Sala, who had a decent save percentage of 90.4 in a miserable team, into a goalie with horrible fitness who doesn’t even belong in the best league in the world. The famous Swede reportedly broke down in tears after the storm of sharp words.
Trenin can now focus on hockey again. In October, he will have two duels against San Jose in Prague’s O2 arena as part of the Global Series.
Some time ago, Dominik Hašek came out against the matches, who, due to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, does not want Russian hockey players, including Trenin, to take part in them. However, such a step will probably not happen. Although the NHL has condemned Russian warfare, it stands up for individual hockey players from the eastern country.
