Do you think there may already be a deal in principle?

[Mess]

It just doesn't sound like the sides are that close yet ..

The “accounting†meeting – as Thursday’s was described – was related to the most recent NHL offer made to the players which followed an NHLPA hybrid concept.

That addressed the relationship between player salaries and league revenues.

The NHLPA proposal contained an upper cap of $50 million and a floor of $30 million.

My information is that the NHL’s counter-proposal is for a $32 million cap and a $22 million floor.

http://www.msgnetwork.com/content_news.jsp?articleID=v0000msgn20050513T012809750&newsgroup=columnist.article&team=&sports=ice-hockey

 

[AXN]

The “accounting†meeting – as Thursday’s was described – was related to the most recent NHL offer made to the players which followed an NHLPA hybrid concept.

That addressed the relationship between player salaries and league revenues.

The NHLPA proposal contained an upper cap of $50 million and a floor of $30 million.

My information is that the NHL’s counter-proposal is for a $32 million cap and a $22 million floor.

http://www.msgnetwork.com/content_n...orts=ice-hockey

You are listening to Stan Fischler. His inside information also stated that the players called the meeting immediatley after the NHL cancelled the season.
He can be wrong and is very pro Bettman not so much the league. I have read on TSN that the league actually widened their gap from 10 million to just under 15.
Don't know how true that is either.

 

[The Nemesis]

I read this quote :

"We completed three days of meetings on competition and economic issues with the league," players' association senior director Ted Saskin said. "An additional three days of CBA discussions have been scheduled next week, with the first two days dedicated to reviewing economic and financial reporting issues."

Now the reason for my thinking that a deal in principle may already exist is that them going over the Levitt report, looking at the financial reporting issues tells me that they've agreed on a linkage type cba and possibly even the ranges and thresholds for luxury tax and are now finalizing the reporting aspects of the revenues, what constitutes a revenue etc etc.

Or...perhaps they are just doing their due diligence and reviewing these issues now so that it doesn't become an issue later once they do agreement on numbers.

Any thoughts?

PJStyles

I highly doubt there's any kind of preliminary agreement at this point. Given how far apart they've been at every point of negotiations so far, it is just unrealistic for them to come up with a working plan in so short a time. Even if one side came to the other with a great offer, There would be a reasonable period of trepidation, simply because they've utterly destroyed their trust in one another over the course of these negotiations.

 

[dulzhok]

Once they agree on how revenues will be reported, it will be a fight down to wire of next season... Each side trying to get as much as possible. There will be other issues as well... Free agents, rookie contracts, arbitration, rollbacks, etc. So no, I seriously doubt that a deal has been reached in principle. But it is a good step that the PA is obviously caving in on a cap and likely likage. But how much of a cap and how much linkage will be on the table until, at the earliest, September.

 

[SharkGirl27]

I was at a fantasy camp a few weeks ago that Nick Kypreos was at, along with a bunch of other former NHL'ers, while most of them seemed to shy away from talking about the lockout, and oddly enough anything hockey related, I did over hear a conversation with Nick and another guy attending the camp in which Nick said something to the affect that they are a lot closer than anyone on the outside thinks, and that it's more or less just over the range of the cap and what level it will start at in October, plus the things that aren't associated directly with the cap such as UFA age etc.

Take it for what it is worth, and I am just the messanger so don't shoot me.