Jim Rutherford said last week that a deal for Jamie Oleksiak "will get done at some point."
That point was not Thursday, though.
Accordingly, the 25-year-old defenseman has filed for salary arbitration after being unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Penguins before Thursday's 5 p.m. deadline, Rutherford confirmed to DKPittsburghSports.com.
Oleksiak is the last of the team's most notable restricted free agents not to be signed for 2018-19. More likely than not, a deal will be reached before an arbitration hearing ever takes place. Should it come to that, a hearing would be scheduled to to be held between July 20 and Aug. 4
The Penguins acquired Oleksiak from Dallas on Dec. 19, 2017, in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2019.
The 6-foot-7, 255-pounder proved to be one of Rutherford's best deals as the former 2011 first-round pick (14th overall) set career highs in games played (68), assists (12) and points (17) while matching his career-best goal total (5). He played 47 of those games with the Penguins while averaging 17:24 in ice time. In 12 playoff games, Oleksiak scored one goal -- Game 5 loss at Washington -- while going minus-2.
Oleksiak played last year on a one-year $964,688 contract originally signed with the Stars.
