Chris Stewart's arbitration hearing with the Blues will be held on July 22nd, as reported by Jeremy Rutherford. If the Blues aren't able to reach a deal with Stewart prior to his hearing on the 22nd, the St. Louis forward will pitch his case to an arbitrator along with a requested salary.
How does an arbitration hearing work? Both sides (Stewart and the Blues) submit an annual salary figure to the arbitrator. The arbitrator then determines an annual salary they believe the player deserves. This number can be between the two figures submitted by the team and player, but there are instances where the number isn't within that range. The Blues then have the option of locking Stewart into either a one-year or a two-year deal at the rate assigned by the arbitrator.
The Blues still might work out a deal with Stewart even though his hearing is scheduled. If you recall, the Blues agreed to a five-year deal with T.J. Oshie just hours before his scheduled hearing. It's entirely possible a similar scenario happens with Stewart.
If a hearing is needed, Rutherford believes the Blues would elect to sign Stewart to a one-year deal even though they'd have the option to go for two years.
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