The arbitration case for Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby is set for this Thursday in Toronto.   As previously reported, 23 of 24 arbitration cases filed last year never made it to arbitration, as agreements between teams and players were reached before the scheduled hearing. Only P.K. Subban’s case made it to arbitration. Many had surmised that the Holtby case would probably never make it to arbitration, however the hearing date is drawing close and there has been little movement in negotiations.

Should no contract be signed and the arbitration case does indeed occur, both the Capitals and Braden Holtby’s “camp” will make their cases heard and present justification for the contract values and terms they have requested.  After both sides have been heard, the third-party mediator assigned to the case will be required to render a decision within 48 hours.  The decision will include the final value of the contract.  Because the arbitration is a player-elected arbitration case, the Capitals will be able to choose the length of the deal, either a one or two-year term.  Regardless, one way or another, the Holtby case will conclude by next Saturday, July 25th.

A little over a week ago, Alex Prewitt reported that the two sides were in the neighborhood of about $1,000,000 apart.

The Capitals’ offer to Holtby — the 25-year-old who tied franchise records for games played, wins and shutouts last season and finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting — has maxed in the mid-$5 million range, while Holtby’s team has countered around $1 million higher, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation.