23 NHL players file for salary arbitration by Sunday's deadline

Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, coming off a franchise record-tying 41-win season, was the biggest name among 23 NHL players who filed for salary arbitration by Sunday's deadline.

He made $2 million last season and is expected to be in line for a big raise after also recording a 2.22 goals-against average and .923 save percentage, his best numbers as a starting goalie.

Other key filers are 27-goal scorers Gustav Nyquist (Detroit Red Wings) and Mike Hoffman (Ottawa Senators) and New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan, who had 55 points in 68 games last season.

Just because a player files doesn't mean he'll go ahead with his hearing. Nearly everyone who file settles beforehand because of the uncertainty of how the arbitrator will rule and because teams are put in the position of pointing a player's flaws during the hearing. Filing for arbitration sets a hard deadline and gives teams and agents extra incentive to find a compromise.

Everyone settled early in 2013 and only Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban had a hearing last summer. He and the team reached agreement on an eight-year, $72 million contract before the arbitrator made a ruling.

Hearings will be held in Toronto between July 20 and Aug. 4.

The full list:

Arizona Coyotes: Mikkel Boedker, Phil Samuelsson, Brendan Shinnimin

Buffalo Sabres: Phil Varone

Calgary Flames: Lance Bouma, Paul Byron, Josh Jooris

Colorado Avalanche: Andrew Agozzino, Mathew Clark

Detroit Red Wings: Gustav Nyquist

Minnesota Wild: Erik Haula

Nashville Predators: Taylor Beck, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson

New Jersey Devils: Eric Gélinas, Adam Larsson

New York Rangers: Derek Stepan

Ottawa Senators: Alex Chiasson, Mike Hoffman

Philadelphia Flyers: Michael Del Zotto

St. Louis Blues: Magnus Paajarvi

Washington Capitals: Braden Holtby, Marcus Johansson