Alexander Korolyuk, please call the Sharks. They'd like to find out whether you plan to return to the NHL or stay in Russia this season.
Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said Thursday that neither he nor Korolyuk's agent, Brian Lawton, has communicated recently with the Moscow native.

But Wilson has come up with a creative way to encourage Korolyuk to return to San Jose: The GM is taking the 29-year-old right wing to arbitration under an untested provision of the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement.

While the provision was designed to enable teams to reduce a non-productive player's salary, Wilson said he wants to use the mechanism for the opposite reason.

"I want him to go to arbitration so he can get every dollar he can get ... full-market NHL value after a good season," said Wilson, adding that Korolyuk's agent supports the move. Lawton could not be reached for comment.

A report on a Russian sports Web site indicates that Korolyuk has signed a one-year contract to play near Moscow, saying it would pay more than a $1.5 million offer from the Sharks. That report left open a slim possibility of Korolyuk returning to the NHL.