The salary arbitration hearing date for Valtteri Filppula has been scheduled for August 1st, giving the Red Wings and Filppula's agent, Bill Zito, three weeks to work out a contract agreement before seeing the arbitor. The Red Wings haven't had a problem coming to contract agreements with players filing for arbitration -- the last player to reach an arbitration hearing was Ray Sheppard in 1995.

Some of the most recent Red Wings to file for arbitration were Johan Franzen and Jason Williams and both reached contract agreements before their scheduled hearing.

GM Ken Holland has said on several occasions this off-season that he's confident the club will get Filppula under contract without the need for an arbitration hearing and has presented Filppula's camp with both short- and long-term contract offers.