The Continuing Chronicles Of Jay Feaster's Incompetence

[TGWL]

NEW YORK -- Yes, I still do think a deal will be reached sooner rather than later, and there will be a season. Let’s get that out of the way first.

For all the drama that played out this week, lost in the theatrics was this little fact: the NHL and NHLPA got much closer on an agreement.

Whether or not the emotion gets in the way of a deal, well, that I can’t predict. But purely from a framework basis, this deal is nearly there.

They have essentially agreed on revenue sharing among teams, the players’ pension issues and the make-whole provision.

That leaves three key issues unresolved:

1. CBA Term. The league wants a 10-year deal (with a mutual option after eight years); the union responded with eight years with an option after Year 6. To me this is a red herring. It’s not a deal breaker. Frankly, I think most players don’t really care about this one. One player even suggested to me Friday that this was more a Donald Fehr issue than a player issue. The reason the league needs to get 10 years is that otherwise it won’t shell out $300 million in make-whole money. For the owners to pay that money outside the system, they need to guarantee themselves more years at a true 50-50 split of hockey-related revenues. Obviously, for the first few years of the CBA, paying out $300 million means in reality it’s not 50-50 yet. On this issue, I predict the players will be willing to bend.

2. Contract term limits. The league proposes five-year limits (seven years if it’s your own player) while the players countered with eight years. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said this was a hill they were willing to die on, that’s how important the owners feel about getting a five-year limit on contracts. The reasoning for that is long-term deals got out of control during the last CBA (that would be owners messing up their own system, by the way) and the league wants to rein in the kind of financial commitments that exist right now all over the league in long-term deals. But the players feel just as strongly that five-year limit is unacceptable, it removes way too much flexibility from the system, the players argue. "I guess Bill Daly’s hill will be the battleground," one NHL player told ESPN.com Friday. So where is the middle ground in the battleground? Can the league live with six years instead? Can the players live with that? This will be the final, toughest hurdle to a new CBA. But I think for a deal to get done, it’s the league and owners who have to move a little here on this one.

3. No compliance buyouts or caps on escrow in transition. Don Fehr brought up this up this week, a desire to either limit escrow early on in the new CBA and allow teams to buy out players but not have that payment count against the salary cap. The league vehemently opposes this because it’s money outside the system. As one league source said Friday, they’re already willing to shell out $300 million in "make-whole" outside the system, they’re not going to shell out more. Instead, the league believes that allowing teams to exceed the salary cap for the first 12 months of the CBA allows enough time for teams to get under the cap eventually and adjust to the new system. I’m not sure what Fehr’s angle is here. I mean, the whole point of make-whole is to alleviate the financial pressure the players will feel by going from 57 percent of HRR down to 50. Truth be told, some owners were furious when they found out the league offered $300 million this week. It’s a number every owner is comfortable with. Why Fehr needs other transition avenues on top of make-whole seems a bit of a reach to me.

The skinny: Commissioner Gary Bettman said the offer was off the table, but the reality is, if the players next week are willing to play ball with what the league proposed, that deal is still available. What the players have to figure out for themselves is whether waiting this out longer will help them get more. There’s no question the patience that Fehr has preached to his membership has paid off, the best example being the owners moving from $211 million to $300 million in make-whole. But at some point you have to know when you’ve played this out long enough. I believe that time has come. If I’m a player, I push hard to get back to the table next week and work with the league on its last offer. If the players do that, this lockout ends.

Pierre LeBrun

I'm assuming they do get back to the table next week.

[Ruki]

So, we should find out tomorrow what the decision is on the vote for disclaimer of interest from the PA. Just get a deal done

Also? Fake hockey, but real fun! http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=90561

[TGWL]

Anybody watching Canada - Finland?

[Gabriel]

Anybody watching Canada - Finland?

Almost wish I didn't. I hope they prove me wrong, but this does not look like a gold medal team. There were some flashes of brilliance, but for the most part, they looked disjointed and I'm just not sure that they're going to be able to pull it together in time to be a real threat.

[TGWL]

I think they'll be a little more disciplined the more games they play. I actually started watching the 2012 game as that was the first stream I found. Took me 5 minutes before I realized I'm watching the wrong game. Canada was dominating!

[Gabriel]

I think they'll be a little more disciplined the more games they play. I actually started watching the 2012 game as that was the first stream I found. Took me 5 minutes before I realized I'm watching the wrong game. Canada was dominating!

They'll become more unified as the tournament goes on, no doubt... but the last couple of years I've had more hope for the team and seen them fall flat because they just don't have enough time to come together properly. The talent is there, there's no doubting that. We just need some cohesion, and I don't think that Canada is dominant enough anymore to play two or three pre-tournament games and be ready to steamroll through the World Juniors.

We need to start either running a National Team program that sees our top under-20's playing together all year, or we need to pull them from their junior teams two or three weeks earlier than we do now.

It also says something that the past few years, our coaching staff has cut players that went on to more success than the guys that we took to the tournament. Nugent-Hopkins got cut the year before he was a Calder finalist in the NHL. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate how we evaluate the kids.

[TGWL]

Anybody catch the USA - Sweden game? Sweden has some good stick handling skills and puck possession, but I was really impressed with the speed USA had.

[Ruki]

So, games up until the 14th are cancelled. Guessing the drop dead date is the 15th.

Not much time to get something done.

[Toe]

I honestly don't care anymore about the lockout. I have no sympathy for either side.

[Ruki]

The players have until January 2nd to file their disclaimer of interest (the vote went yes, apparently). So if we don't have a new CBA by then, then this disclaimer of interest thing happens and I have no idea what happens then. Lengthy court proceedings?

[Plubby]

I'm in the middle of listening to Tyler Dellow on the Marek vs Wyshynski podcast going through that now.

[TGWL]

Russia over USA 2-1.

[Ruki]

Morgan Rielly sparking the Team Canada comeback

And the NHL has submitted a new CBA offer to the PA. Let's see how this goes over....

[Ruki]

January 11th is the drop dead date to get this shit signed.

[Plubby]

THE AVS WILL WIN THE CUP THIS SEASON! VIVA LA HOCCKEEYYYYYY!

[munky]

Lockout Be Over

According to TSN Hockey Analyst Aaron Ward and TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun, the agreement features the following elements:

- The players' share of hockey-related revenue will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split for all 10 years.

- The league coming off their demand for a $60 million cap in Year 2, meeting the NHLPA's request to have it at $64.3 million - which was the upper limit from last year's cap. The salary floor in Year 2 will be $44 million.

- The upper limit on the salary cap in the first year is $60 million, but teams can spend up to $70.2 million. The cap floor will be $44 million.

- The 10-year deal also has an opt-out clause that kicks in after eight years.

- The salary variance on contracts from year to year cannot vary more than 35 per cent and the final year cannot vary more than 50 per cent of the highest year.

- A player contract term limit for free agents will be seven years and eight years for a team signing its own player.

- The draft lottery selection process will change with all 14 teams fully eligible for the first overall pick. The weighting system for each team may remain, but four-spot move restriction will be eliminated.

- Supplemental discipline for players in on-ice incidents will go through NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan first, followed by an appeal process that would go through Bettman. For suspensions of six or more games, a neutral third party will decide if necessary.

- Revenue sharing among teams will spread to $200 million. Additionally, an NHLPA-initiated growth fund of $60 million is included.

- The NHL had hoped to change opening of free agency to July 10, but the players stood firm and it remains July 1 in the new agreement. But with a later ending to the season, free agency for this summer will start at a later date.

Also, a decision on NHL participation at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be made outside of the new CBA. While it is likely that the league will participate, the IIHF and IOC will have discussions with the NHL and Players' Association.

[Toe]

Meh. Maybe I will get interested again when they start playing. Right now, I don't really care.

[SeanDMan]

You're a Leafs fan, the only exciting part of hockey season is the draft.

[Ruki]

You're a Leafs fan, the only exciting part of hockey season is the draft.

I love Morgan Rielly!

[Ruki]

Also? Really ope Komorov comes back over with everyone and earns a spot on the team. Was one of the best Marlies when he left, would be a great pest on the 4th line.

Lupul-Bozak-Kessel

Kuli-Grabo-MacA

Lombardi-Connolly-Kadri

Komorov-MacClemmant-Brown

I almost forgot Lombardi and Connolly were on this team..I hope they can be edged out by the likes of Kadri, Frattin, Hamilton, and Ashton.