SENSible1*
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Good post.tantalum said:I really don't mind if they do put linkage such that it only applies with rising revenues. I think that is doable if and only if this season gets saved because there would be a reasonable expectation that revenues will bounce back quite quickly. But with if they want that then they have to accept a harder hit at the beginning and come down to the NHL's proposed cap. Or they can hope Gary got a little more wiggles room during the night.
How do you quantify that escalator? It would have to be to revenue growth. So an escalator is linked to revenue. How do you do that link without using a percentage? You can't just pull an arbitrary number out of the hat. The percentage gives the reasoning behind an increase. The PA is finally seeing things properly and realise they are going to want linkage by the end of the agreement. But it all means the union has to have those discussion about revenue streams. Something they are unprepared to do.
Now I do think this is a compromise the NHL can make. They have agreed in principle to a hard cap that is not linked so they have agreed to a lower limit the cap will be at for the term of the CBA. If they are willing to throw that bone to the players they believe that revenues will rebound provided the season is saved. I think they can throw them this escalator bone as well BUT if the players want that they have to come down to the NHL starting point or very near it IMO. I don't think Bettman has much wiggle room on that left...perhaps his bosses gave him another $1-2 mil but I doubt it. Essentially they'd be agreeing to the Feb framework with a cap set at a $42.5 mil (+2.2) instead of $40, that the cap can not be lower than that, and pretty much all the other throw away stuff goes the players way as per the Dec 9th offer (which were essentially throwaways for the owners to get the system yet they still gain in all those areas compared to last CBA), and the revenue percentage will be a bit higher.
Really that is the best the union can expect. They can be pissed at the letter last night but it stated simple fact: If the season is cancelled it is all downhill for the players. The league has them by the balls and the league is going to squeeze and make them scream a bit and frankly I can't blame them.
The other concession the league could make without changing the top # is a relatively high low end cap--say around $30 M (with enough revenue sharing to help teams meet this figure.)