Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen has filed for salary arbitration according to a release from the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA).

He was one of 24 players around the league who opted to file.

Kapanen labored through an underwhelming 2021-22 season in which he appeared in 79 games and scored 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) while logging 14:32 of ice time per contest.

The Penguins extended a qualifying offer to Kapanen on July 11 to formally retain his signing rights.

Filing for arbitration doesn’t necessarily signal an impasse between a player and team and is often a procedural step that can lead to a contract agreement before getting to a formal hearing, a process that both parties typically prefer to avoid.

Arbitration hearings are scheduled to begin on July 27 and last until Aug. 11.

“I’m sure we’ll get something done,” Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said on Wednesday. “Typically, both sides have a range where you know you’re going to be. So we’re pretty comfortable with a range that we believe that we’ll be in. I spoke with (Kapanen’s agent Markus Lehto). I don’t think (Kapanen) is going to be a problem.”

Kapanen, who will turn 26 on Saturday, just completed a three-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $3.2 million.

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