TSN: Saskin, Daly comment ahead of meeting

[Shadow Journal]

the 24% rollback is bigger than anyone gives credit for

What do they want, a friggin parade? All I ever hear is people saying that the 24% rollback was a big deal, but the pro nhlpa people keep saying they don't get enough credit for it. They've got their friggin credit, from the media, from the NHL, from the pro owner fans. Shut up about it already.

 

[Drury_Sakic]

getting credit for it..

and getting something back for it...

are two different things..

Thats what I am talking about..

and I am NOT pro-player... I tend to lean to the owners side... I am just making a point..

What did the owners give back for the 24% roll back?

NOTHING

 

[vadardog]

24% truly isn't going to help much. If the old CBA was in place with the 24% rollback it would take 1 year to return salaries to their old levels. Plus 24% really amounts to about 12% considering that 50% or less of the players will be under contract for the start of next season. Also the 24% rollback helps the overspending teams more and what are they likely to do with this freed up money - put it into free agents driving salaries higher. Since the NHL needs to drop salaries from an astronomical 78% to around 55-60% the 12% drop doesn't cut it. It also doesn't address future salary escallation. Plus the players had too good a deal under the old CBA. The players have admitted this point - they have said the system needs fixing. The 24% rollback only gets the players into the ballpark, it doesn't get them a deal. So I wish the media would shut up about it because its just smoke and mirrors unless other issues are dealt with.

 

[vadardog]

Just to add another point. Alot of people think that this negotiation should be the players give up this then the owners give up that. I don't think so. I actually believe that the owners have given the players their best offer. If they had a better offer they would have given it to save the season. They aren't stupid, they know they are potentially flushing billions in revenue down the drain.

The players offers have amounted to money loosing situations for the owners. So they have the choice between playing hockey and loosing money or not playing and loosing money - whats the difference. The players have been offered millions to play, but have chosen not to. How does this get better for the players?