New general manager Garth Snow has his first tough decision to make for the New York Islanders, and he has to make it fast.

An arbitrator has awarded Islanders forward Mike York $2.85 million for the 2006-07 season. Snow now has 48 hours to accept or decline the deal.  If the Islanders walk away from it, York will immediately become an unrestricted free agent.

''We respect the arbitrator's decision and appreciate the process that led to the one-year award for Mike, a player we think the world of,'' Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. ''It was our intention prior to the hearing to sign him to a long-term deal, and it remains our hope to have Mike York in an Islanders uniform for years to come.''

York, 28, earned $2.05-million and scored 13 goals and 52 points for the Islanders in 2005-2006.  He has tallied 287 points in 449 career games with the Islanders, Oilers and Rangers.

A 5-foot-10, 185-pound centre, York can also play wing and was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Mike Peca last summer.

There are still two more arbitration decisions due today: Buffalo's Daniel Briere and San Jose's Mark Smith.

The Edmonton Oilers and centre Jarret Stoll have come to an agreement on a two-year contract worth $4.4-million U.S., avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday, July 24th.

''We are pleased to have Jarret under contract for the next two years,'' said assistant general manager Scott Howson. ''He has emerged into a solid two-way player at an early stage in his career and we believe he will continue his development into a top forward in the NHL.''

Stoll is coming off a solid season with the Oilers that saw him finish third on the teams scoring list with a career-high 68 points. The 24-year-old native of Melville, Saskatchewan established single-season career-highs in goals, assists and points, netting 22 goals and 46 assists in 82 games.

One of only three Oilers to appear in all 82 games during the regular season, Stoll finished third on the team in goals and assists, was second in PPG (11) and game-winning goals (4), fourth in plus/minus (+4) and first in shots on goal (243).

A second round draft choice of the Oilers in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Stoll will be entering his third full season with the Oilers in 2006-07. In his first 164 career games with the Oilers he has scored 32-58-90 with 116 PIM.

Jordin Tootoo, a native of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut who became the first Inuk to play in the NHL, agreed to a $1.2-million, two-year deal with the Nashville Predators.

He'll earn $500,000 next season and $700,000 in 2007-08.

The 5-foot-9, 194-pound winger had four goals and 10 points and 55 penalty minutes in 34 games with Nashville last season. Tootoo also had 27 points and 133 penalty minutes in 41 games with AHL Milwaukee.

The Predators also signed restricted free-agent defenceman Sheldon Brookbank to a one-year contract and unrestricted free-agent forward Ramzi Abid to a one-year contract. Additional terms of the deals were not disclosed.