Beukeboom Fan said:
Call me crazy, but don't the rollback and buy-out's benefit the majority of players? If the 04-05 contracts aren't going to be honored, there is something like 20% of the league under contract. The rollback and the buy-out's maximize the dollars available to pay the 80% of the players that don't currently have contracts. .
I am sure each player depending where he currently sits will base his vote on how he is affected by the CBA. The players that need to take the rollback will not be too happy that they have to lose money so other players can have a job, particularly the ones that are going to be asked to take further restructing to boot.
Beukeboom Fan said:
Rollbacks will help bring players with contracts negotiated under the previous CBA more in line with new contracts going forward. Buy outs allow teams to pay off the dead weight (Leclair, Savage, etc) without having it count against the salary cap. Isn't maximizing the $'s a team has available to spend a great thing for 80+% of the players that will have to negotiate a contract when the CBA is signed?.
Sure .. For some players .. But not having a contract and getting another that you can live with are 2 different things. No guarantee that if you are bought out or are currently an UFA that you will be a NHL player again when the next season starts.
Beukeboom Fan said:
Sure, guys with existing contracts will be pissed off, but that's 20% of the league. That shouldn't be a big enough power block to keep this from being ratified. This is one of those cases where the vocal minority is screaming the loudest, but I think they'll get snowed under by the vast majority of players that just want to get back and play.
I am not saying it would not be approved via vote, but I am not sure you can draw a line in the sand so that players with contracts are against and players without are for it .. I don't think its that simple at all .. I think Goodenow has a lot of strong followers still that support him and when it comes time to make a decision on voting yes or no they may still listen to him and his advice if he can give them a good answer to ........WHAT IF they don't vote YES.
Now this is EXTREMELY unlikely at this stage because of all the progress made but you can bet that Goodenow does not support a Hard Cap .. That is a virtual given..
Its also well known that if you cross a picket line and return to work you are giving up your union status to do so ..
NOW .. STRICTLY HYPOTHETICAL .. but still remotely possible .. because it happened in the NFL before in 1989 ..
The majority vote no and the NHL moves to IMPASSE CBA .. drops the lockout and thus forces the NHLPA to go on strike .. Players that want to return to work can and will cross the picket line to do so .. Joe Montana lead this event in the NFL situation .. However then the union members remaining that are the hardliners with Goodenow can then vote to decertify the union and BLOW UP the IMPASSE CBA in place.. Again just like the NFL did in their last CBA battle ..
So while this may only have a 1% change its still is possible to happen.
Then what .. Every man for himself ..
The NFL took 5 years in this in-between CBA stance to negotiate a new CBA with the newly formed union PA again .. Players like Leclair who was scheduled to make 9 mil old system and subject to buyouts now less 24% could file anti-trust law suits, and hope to be rewarded more in courts then by the buyout .. Freeman Mcneil and a few NFL players fought and won their cases and where awarded large settlements and the UFA cam way down in the NFL as a result on all of that.
Now I don't think this will happen but it is possible and perfectly within the PA right to do so.
The NHL Owners would really be in a better position if Goodenow would not be in power as it makes sense that as his last action he falls on his sword and plays the Decertify card with his loyal followers and his legacy will as such be much different.
Now I don't need any hate posts reply .. Just stating one really remote possibilty that could happen that I don't believe will but could, because of the similarities to the NFL battle and with Jim Quinn on board with the PA that fought the PA battle in the football one giving advice to the PA in this one ..