Why hasn't the league explored how flexible the NHLPA would be if they accepted a luxury tax?
I'm saying if the league truly wants the PA to accept linkage, if that's the only important issue, then entice them into it. Don't try to shove it down their throats with all the other crap in the proposal. If linkage is all they want, then linkage is all they should ask for. And, looking at this with a bit of common sense, if they get the linkage, they don't need all the other crap. The other crap's only purpose is to cheese off the union.
The PA simply saying "okay, we'll take linkage, now let's talk about getting rid of the other stuff" doesn't work. Once they've accepted linkage, there's no incentive for the owners to start giving in on all the other stuff too. THAT would show a weakness on the PA's part, and the greedy owners would be so pumped they'd want to pursue all the punitive parts that are currently on the table as well.