There will be no offer sheet possibility for forward Valtteri Filppula as the young Finn was one of 15 NHL players to file for salary arbitration on Saturday. Rumors out of Vancouver on Friday reported that the Canucks were preparing to tender Filppula, a restricted free agent, a contract offer. With the filing no other NHL club can make a contract offer to Filppula as the Red Wings and Filppula's agent wait for the arbitration hearing.

The two sides can still work out a contract agreement on their own before the arbitration hearings, which start July 20th and end August 4th.

During the arbitration hearing the Red Wings will make a case for what they feel Filppula should be paid for the following season while Filppula's camp argues the same in favor of the forward. A neutral party arbitor will decide the salary for Filppula next season, giving the Red Wings the right to accept the ruling or decline it -- making Filppula a free agent. The club has a 48-hour window to make the decision.

Filppula's decision to file for arbitration may be more benefit to the Red Wings than a hindrance, as the threat of Filppula signing an offer sheet (and therefore having a bloated salary) is removed. Filppula will get an award in line with similar players of his age and skill level.

The only potential issue is that the arbitration hearing may further delay the contract decisions to be made with defenseman Chris Chelios and forwards Aaron Downey and Darren McCarty, who are all without a contract and may have to wait until the Red Wings can sign Filppula or the arbitration hearing before they get signed.

The Red Wings currently have just under $4-million in salary cap space available for next season.

Filppula earned $850,000 in the last year of his entry-level contract in 2007-08 and amassed 19 goals among 36 points in his second full NHL campaign. He was also an impressive +16 while taking a regular shift on the Red Wings second line.