Dach, Perfetti – Two Canadian forwards — Kirby Dach and Matty (Cole) Perfetti — are among 15 NHL players who have filed for salary arbitration, even as negotiations with teams remain possible before any hearing.
When salary arbitration windows open, the clock starts ticking fast — and on that list are two forwards who have felt very different versions of the league’s grind.
Kirby Dach, 25, is one of 15 players to file for salary arbitration after finishing a four-year contract carrying a $3,362,500 cap hit. His time in that deal was shaped by severe injuries. and the impact showed up in the numbers: he appeared in only 154 games over those four seasons. The most recent season was even more limited. In 2025-26, Dach played just 37 games and scored eight goals and 15 points.
Matty (Cole) Perfetti, 24, is also among the 15 filings. He is coming off a two-year contract with a $3.25-million cap hit, and his production has been harder to ignore. Perfetti scored 12 goals and 32 points in 68 games last season. In 2024-25, he posted a career-high 50 points.
The arbitration list goes well beyond the Canadian contingent. Players filed include Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. Nick Robertson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Braden Schneider of the New York Rangers. Akira Schmid of the Florida Panthers. Connor McMichael of the St. Louis Blues. Jamie Drysdale of the Philadelphia Flyers. Trevor Zegras of the Philadelphia Flyers. Jet Greaves of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Xavier Bourgault of the Ottawa Senators. Alex Jefferies of the New York Islanders. Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres. Ronan Seeley of the Carolina Hurricanes. and Cole Sillinger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Filing for arbitration doesn’t end contract talks overnight. Players who file can still negotiate with their teams before the hearing. There’s just one major change: once they’ve filed, they’re no longer eligible for an offer sheet.
The contrast between Dach and Perfetti makes the arbitration process feel especially sharp. One forward is trying to reset his value after battles with multiple severe injuries and a 37-game 2025-26. The other enters arbitration coming off a productive run that includes 50 points in 2024-25 and 12 goals and 32 points in 68 games last season.
For the teams involved, the filings raise the same practical question across the league: how do you hold the line on a cap number while a player moves closer to a hearing that can set the price — even if negotiations are still possible for now.
NHL salary arbitration Kirby Dach Matty (Cole) Perfetti Jason Robertson Nick Robertson Braden Schneider Akira Schmid Connor McMichael Jamie Drysdale Trevor Zegras Jet Greaves Xavier Bourgault Alex Jefferies Peyton Krebs Ronan Seeley Cole Sillinger Dallas Stars Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers Florida Panthers St. Louis Blues Philadelphia Flyers Columbus Blue Jackets Ottawa Senators New York Islanders Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes