Buffalo Sabres forward Tim Kennedy had his arbitration hearing Tuesday after the two sides failed to reach a contract agreement. An independent judge is expected to make a decision today or Thursday based on arguments in Toronto.

The Sabres can accept the ruling or allow Kennedy to become an unrestricted free agent.

Details about proposals the two sides exchanged in recent weeks and where they stood weren't entirely clear Tuesday. Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier could not be reached for comment. Neither Kennedy nor his agent, St. Louis-based Allain Roy, returned calls after the hearing was completed Tuesday afternoon.

Buffalo was believed to be offering about $700,000 -- his $635,000 salary from last season plus a mandatory 10 percent raise for restricted free agents -- on a one-year deal, or a higher base salary for a longer agreement. Kennedy was believed to be looking for more than $1 million per season, perhaps upwards of $1.4 million.

The South Buffalo native and his hometown team had hoped to reach an agreement that would have prevented arbitration, which often can be an unpleasant experience for all involved. Teams are forced to criticize their own players during the hearing, which can lead to resentment after the process is completed.

Kennedy was in an unusual position because he had arbitration rights after playing one season in the NHL. He signed his first contract at age 22, which guaranteed a maximum two-year deal and arbitration when it expired. Younger players are given three-year contracts and cannot file for arbitration until after their fourth season.

It made for an interesting case Tuesday.

Arbitration rulings historically have come down to several variables, including statistics and experience, compared to other players. Kennedy is an effective two-way player who mostly had a checking role with the Sabres. He played against the opposing teams' top lines, but his offensive productivity suffered in the process.

Kennedy had 10 goals and 26 points last season, which included a miserable 19-game stretch in which he had only two points. He moved from center to left wing, his natural position, in March and had seven points in eight games. He also was one of the Sabres' better two-way forwards in the first-round loss to Boston in the playoffs.

The fact he had only one NHL season made it difficult to find comparable players.

Buffalo has the option of accepting the arbitration ruling or walking away from the decision and allowing Kennedy to skate into the open market. Atlanta this season rejected a ruling in favor of former Sabres forward Clarke MacArthur, who was awarded $2.4 million in arbitration. MacArthur, who is 25, had 16 goals and 19 assists in 81 games with Buffalo and Atlanta last season.

Matt Moulson of the Islanders was awarded $2.45 million for one season in arbitration Tuesday after scoring a career-best 30 goals and adding 18 assists.

bgleason@buffnews.comnull