TSN is reporting tonight that 20 NHL players, including Carolina Hurricanes winger, Tuomo Ruutu, have filed for salary arbitration. If the Hurricanes and the Finn can not come to an agreement regarding the details of a new contract before a yet to be determined date, a neutral salary arbitrator will decide upon the numbers for both sides.
Last season, Chad LaRose filed for arbitration but still came to an agreement with Rutherford a couple of weeks before the hearing. While Ruutu's filing probably means that a deal is not imminent, it does not necessarily mean that negotiations are at a standstill either. The Hurricanes will probably have something official to say about this tomorrow. Look for Jim Rutherford to make the next move in this chess match.