Report: Antoine Roussel, Stars $1.2 million apart 2 days ahead of scheduled arbitration hearing

The Dallas Stars and grinder Antoine Roussel are $1.2 million apart two days ahead of their scheduled salary arbitration hearing, according to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reports that the French international forward is seeking a $2.35 million dollar award at salary arbitration, while the Dallas Stars have pegged his salary for next season at $1.15 million.

The Stars and Roussel are scheduled to have a player-elected salary arbitration hearing on Tuesday. The two sides have clearly exchanged briefs, as they're required to do no less than 48 hours ahead of Tuesday's hearing, and the Stars have already elected either a one or two year term for the potential arbitrators award - although details concerning that term election have yet to be reported.

The 24-year-old French-born forward has broken out over the past two seasons, and has established himself not just as an NHL regular, but as an enormously effective bottom-six piece. This past season Roussel played third-line minutes for the Stars at even-strength - playing a defensively calibrated role against secondary competition and coming out way ahead by the shot based metrics - and was a key contributor on the penalty-kill.

Over 120 games the past two seasons, Roussel has managed to contribute 21 goals despite limited ice-time and virtually no power-play time. Among regular forwards the past two years, Roussel has manufactured five-on-five goals at an astounding rate, ranking 45th in goals per sixty minutes (ahead of players like James van Riemsdyk, Brendan Gallagher, Bobby Ryan, Jordan Eberle), among the 293 NHL forwards that have logged at least 1000 even-strength minutes since the lockout.

Obviously Roussel's ask suggests that his camp is looking for Leo Komarov money. The Stars, meanwhile, seem to be preparing to argue that Roussel is basically Jared Boll circa 2012.