Full hearing dates for 2026 NHL player-elected arbitration cases revealed
We know when some of the NHL’s young stars will have their day to sort out their next contracts.
On Sunday, PuckPedia released the full schedule of hearing dates for the 15 players who filed for salary arbitration.
While there might be multiple reasons a player might file for arbitration, the big one is the simple fact that the player, a restricted free agent, and their team have yet to agree on terms of the player’s next contract. The two sides will meet, with a third-party arbitrator monitoring the hearing, determining the final value of the deal.
The biggest name on this year’s list is Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. Dating back to the 2025-26 season, it has seemed that Robertson and the team have not seen eye-to-eye on what’s going to be a big payday for the 26-year-old. He’s coming off a 96-point performance this past year, the second-highest point total of his NHL career, with many believing he’ll be making north of $10 million. He already turned down a massive eight-year contract with the Seattle Kraken, with the St. Louis Blues also offering up loads of draft picks for the kid from California.
Along with his brother, Nick Robertson, who was recently acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, another player in the Keystone State who’s battling for a new contract is Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras. After struggling to find consistency with the Anaheim Ducks, Zegras has found renewed confidence with the Flyers and wants to be paid like the star player many projected him to be.
While these players might still have their hearing, some might settle prior to the date.
Here is a full list of the hearing dates:
| Hearing Date | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 20 | Jamie Drysdale | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Monday, July 20 | Cole Perfetti | Winnipeg Jets |
| Wednesday, July 22 | Trevor Zegras | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Thursday, July 23 | Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Saturday, July 25 | Xavier Bourgault* | Ottawa Senators |
| Saturday, July 25 | Jason Robertson | Dallas Stars |
| Saturday, July 25 | Connor McMichael | St. Louis Blues |
| Monday, July 27 | Cole Sillinger | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Tuesday, July 28 | Nick Robertson | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Wednesday, July 29 | Braden Schneider | New York Rangers |
| Wednesday, July 29 | Ronan Seeley | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Thursday, July 30 | Alex Jefferies | New York Islanders |
| Thursday, July 30 | Kirby Dach | Montreal Canadiens |
| Saturday, August 1 | Akira Schmid | Florida Panthers |
| Saturday, August 1 | Peyton Krebs | Buffalo Sabres |
*Xavier Bourgault agreed to a one-year contract with the Senators on July 9