Nate Schmidt and the Vegas Golden Knights failed to reach an agreement at their arbitration hearing Thursday, reports Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

An arbiter will now determine Schmidt's new contract Saturday, but a deal between the NHL's 31st team and the 26-year-old defenseman can be negotiated before then.

Earlier reports suggested Schmidt and the Golden Knights were far apart on both term and money. This is the first case of the current offseason to require a hearing among the 30 players to file for the process.

Schmidt was claimed by Vegas from the Washington Capitals in June's expansion draft. In 60 games last season, the fleet-footed defender recorded three goals and 14 assists, adding four more points in 11 playoff contests.

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