NHLPA Insane not to accept Offer!!!!

[Mikko_Makela]

If the offer is in fact as it is outlined in this link:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=113414&hubName=nhl

The players are out of their minds if they do not accept this offer.

* Salaries are at a fair level
* They keep arbitration (one of the most inflationary tools of current CBA) very much the same
* Profit sharing with the league
* Qualifying offers only slightly reduced
* Reduction in UFA Age
* Guaranteed Contracts remain

This deal is way more than fair on the owner’s part. No other league has Profit Sharing to the tune of 50/50 with its players. No cap on arbitration allows them to continue to increase their salary at a sizeable rate. Guaranteed contracts also remain. Other leagues such as the NFL do not guarantee their deals!!

The owners are making sizable concessions. The players have to realize that if they are not to accept this offer it is only going to get worse. That 2.1 Billion dollar pie is going to be cut down to just over 1 Billion next year due to the fact of departed season ticket holders and lost sponsors. Not to mention, the players would be throwing out yet another year of their inflated current salary. If they accept it now they can maximize their pay by getting paid on their current contracts for not only this year, but also next year. Because if they do not accept it now and the season is cancelled a resolution will not come about until January 06' at the earliest!!!

NOW IS THE TIME......LET'S GET BACK TO PLAYING HOCKEY INSTEAD OF TALKING ALL THIS CBA BS!!!!!!

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[417]

They'll accept it, and I have a feeling, they already have, although I still think a few things will get tweaked, there's is definately enough movement from the NHL (which is what the NHLPA wanted to see) for both sides to reach a "deal in principle"

 

[dem]

Well isnt this what they proposed on Thursday?

Why havent they accepted yet or even talked?
Face it guys... the season is gone

 

[FLYLine27*]

Isnt this proposal speculation? Not confirmed correct? Sigh im getting lost in all these fake, real, old, new proposals!

 

[Epsilon]

It's a pretty reasonable basis for the a proposal. At this point I think the NHLPA should be considering accepting the cost certaintly aspects and offering a counter-proposal that favours them on the other issues (like free agency and arbitration).

 

[rekrul]

insane no, stubborn YES.

It caps salaries; NHLPA=NO

2way arbritraion thats not going to fly.

UFA 31 to 30 wow whem most sports get UFA in primetime years, this still looks like you get the big payout AFTER your prime.

$0.75 qualifies RFA's, great more holdouts

thats just off the top of my head. No way the NHLPA accepts this, sorry the NHL played as hard as they could, players would rather sit it out a year( or more) than swallow this.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

As long as the word ''salary cap'' is in there - and this proposal has a 42 million hard cap, I dont see Linden accepting it.

 

[i am dave]

Several things may happen:

1. The PA accepts the offer, and there is much rejoicing.

2. The PA "rejects" the offer. Having expected a reasonable League offer, the PA immediately offers a formal counter-propsal tweaking concepts, which remain in the League's best interests. The League accepts. There is much rejoicing.

3. The PA rejects the League offer. They at some point within a few days make a counter proposal. There are philosophical differences. We all jump off a bridge.

4. The PA rejects the offer citing philosophical differences and lack of "meaningful revenue sharing." Among other things, the PA refuses to define "meaningful" and refususes to make a counter-proposal once again. Glen Healey rejoices.

5. There is no formal proposal made. Eklund rejoices, fearing his blogging days had come to an end.

It would be interesting to see how much support of the players would remain should 3 or 4 happen. Maybe I don't grasp some fundamental negotiation practices, but I have always thought that the PA should be making the latest offer...

 

[Greschner4]

insane no, stubborn YES.

It caps salaries; NHLPA=NO

2way arbritraion thats not going to fly.

UFA 31 to 30 wow whem most sports get UFA in primetime years, this still looks like you get the big payout AFTER your prime.

$0.75 qualifies RFA's, great more holdouts

thats just off the top of my head. No way the NHLPA accepts this, sorry the NHL played as hard as they could, players would rather sit it out a year( or more) than swallow this.

Because of the 50/50 profit sharing, it doesn't really "cap" salaries. Salaries are only really capped in years in which league profits are less than $115M, and if the players ask, they can probably have the $115M number taken down to $100 or even lower.

Both sides can easily save face and declare victory with this offer and if the players don't accept it, they're complete and utter fools.

 

[Hockey_Nut99]

insane no, stubborn YES.

It caps salaries; NHLPA=NO

2way arbritraion thats not going to fly.

UFA 31 to 30 wow whem most sports get UFA in primetime years, this still looks like you get the big payout AFTER your prime.

$0.75 qualifies RFA's, great more holdouts

thats just off the top of my head. No way the NHLPA accepts this, sorry the NHL played as hard as they could, players would rather sit it out a year( or more) than swallow this.

What's wrong with 2 wayarbitration? Are the players afraid that they can't coast around out there and then try their buts off the last year of a contract? I'm pretty sure the players know that the owners are going to want 2 way arbitration for sure. That won't come off the table.

 

[Other Dave]

Aside from the low cap amounts, The 75% arbitration minimum and QO figures should be absolute non-starters.

 

[RorschachWJK]

They'll accept it, and I have a feeling, they already have, although I still think a few things will get tweaked, there's is definately enough movement from the NHL (which is what the NHLPA wanted to see) for both sides to reach a "deal in principle"

It seems like a decent proposal. BTW: Gotta love your avatar

 

[417]

Because of the 50/50 profit sharing, it doesn't really "cap" salaries. Salaries are only really capped in years in which league profits are less than $115M, and if the players ask, they can probably have the $115M number taken down to $100 or even lower.

Both sides can easily save face and declare victory with this offer and if the players don't accept it, they're complete and utter fools.

Very good post...good way of breaking it down, I really hope the NHLPA backs off their thinking that the owners will budge of their cost certainty issue...

Steve Yzerman even said it in yesterday's quote, they thought Bettman would back down, and that hasn't and isin't going to happen

 

[Drake1588]

From the PA perspective, I suspect the $32M/$42M numbers are too low; the qualifier percentage is too low; and the UFA age is not low enough.

If they raised the cap to $45M, excluding benefits rather than including them, the players might bite. I still think the league will have to drop the UFA age lower, though, otherwise the union will reject this offer.

The lack of revenue sharing of regular-season gate receipts will not go away as a union concern, either.

Profit sharing is a neat idea, and the penalties a novel approach, but unless they lay out an explicit mechanism to ensure regular third-party oversight of the books for all 30 teams -- sufficient to assuage the union and promote transparency -- it's built on a house of cards.

The union believes there is chronic under-reporting of numbers, and unless the league can find a way to alleviate that concern, profit sharing won't be a carrot the union will appreciate.

 

[rekrul]

What's wrong with 2 wayarbitration? Are the players afraid that they can't coast around out there and then try their buts off the last year of a contract? I'm pretty sure the players know that the owners are going to want 2 way arbitration for sure. That won't come off the table.

I would LOVE to see 2way arbritration mandated for ALL team sports but you would never ever see a pro player anywhere agree to it, if you think so THATS insane.

 

[Other Dave]

What's wrong with 2 wayarbitration?

If teams are allowed to offer less than the player's previous salary, they will use it as a downward influence on salaries, when arbitration is supposed to be used as an upward pressure on salaries to help mitigate the effect of restricted free agency.

 

[Greschner4]

What's wrong with 2 wayarbitration? Are the players afraid that they can't coast around out there and then try their buts off the last year of a contract? I'm pretty sure the players know that the owners are going to want 2 way arbitration for sure. That won't come off the table.

The players have already agreed that the concept of 2 way arbitration is o.k. with them.

 

[red devil]

I would LOVE to see 2way arbritration mandated for ALL team sports but you would never ever see a pro player anywhere agree to it, if you think so THATS insane.

The PA did offer a limited 2-way arbitration in their December proposal. I believe the team could only take the player to arbitration once during their career. The PA may be ready to negotiate on arbitration as long as it stays in the CBA.

 

[417]

It seems like a decent proposal. BTW: Gotta love your avatar

Yes, it's a decent proposal, one that could use some tweaking, but definately a starting point to at least announce a deal in principle, what I love most is the 50/50, that alone should make the players realize that the NHL wants a partnership, and that signifies the NHL's willingless to enter a partnership with players...

P.S.- yeah, I love that avatar as well, it's all about having more cushion for the pushin'...

 

[Greschner4]

insane no, stubborn YES.

It caps salaries; NHLPA=NO

2way arbritraion thats not going to fly.

UFA 31 to 30 wow whem most sports get UFA in primetime years, this still looks like you get the big payout AFTER your prime.

$0.75 qualifies RFA's, great more holdouts

thats just off the top of my head. No way the NHLPA accepts this, sorry the NHL played as hard as they could, players would rather sit it out a year( or more) than swallow this.

On RFA's, there might not be as many holdouts for the simple reason that more of them will get legitimate offer sheets. If you're an RFA on a capped out team, the team won't be able to match, so you'll really be like a UFA.

 

[Epsilon]

Honestly they should simply eliminate arbitration and restricted free agency and all the headaches that come with it, and reduce the UFA age to 26 or so.

 

[Benji Frank]

Mackenzie said something to the affect that the owners will listen to a luxury tax if necessary. I have a feeling the players have countered that one thing with a luxury tax starting at say above 40 mill & below 32 mill (can you call it a luxury tax if they can't afford 32 mill??? ) & a hard cap at around 50 mill ... they save a little face. The revenue sharing is a little more defined with the taxes and bottomfeeders like Pittsburg are forced to try to keep up with the Joneses!!!

With the minimum wage thing, Mario will just play a little longer and collect his cheque as a player instead of an owner!! Maybe we'll see Wayne lace 'em up in Phoenix too!!! Hey Mr. Messier, wanna buy the Oilers??? :lol

 

[Mikko_Makela]

I would LOVE to see 2way arbritration mandated for ALL team sports but you would never ever see a pro player anywhere agree to it, if you think so THATS insane.

The NFL has worse than 2-way arbitration......if you aren't performing to what your salary is worth....YOU GET CUT.......no arbitration in that one!!!!

 

[no13matssundin]

They'll accept it, and I have a feeling, they already have, although I still think a few things will get tweaked, there's is definately enough movement from the NHL (which is what the NHLPA wanted to see) for both sides to reach a "deal in principle"

Eklund, is that you?

 

[Drake1588]

$50M sounds much more like the final hard cap number we will see after compromise.