Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins elected to file for salary arbitration with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
As a result of the filing, the Penguins retain Fleury's rights and he will not become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Arbitration hearings are set by the National Hockey League and take place from July 20 to August 4. Both sides can continue to negotiate a contract until that time.
"By filing for salary arbitration it gives us extra time to continue to negotiate a contract with Marc-Andre," Pens general manager Ray Shero said. "As a result of the filing, Penguins' fans are assured that Marc-Andre will be under contract to our club for next season. Marc-Andre has done a tremendous job for us. We remain committed to negotiating a contract with him in the near future."
The 23-year-old Fleury, who finished last season 19-10-2 with a 2.33 goals- against average, helped lead the Penguins to the 2008 Eastern Conference championship and a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. He was 14-6 with a 1.97 GAA in the playoffs.
In four career seasons after being selected by the Penguins first overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury is 76-67-19 with a 2.95 GAA.
