NHL and NHLPA Officials Set To Talk

The last time we saw Steve Yzerman play, he was being helped off the ice. Many of us questioned whether or not that would be the last time we saw the captain step onto the ice. I, for one, was very excited when he signed another one year contract. The thought of getting to see him wave to fans on his final shift, and score one last goal seemed more fitting for his storied 21 year career.

Unfortunately, there's still a chance we won't get to see that.

Today in Toronto, the NHL and NHLPA are getting back to work on a new CBA that would save part of the 2004-2005 hockey season. It isn't a guaranty, but the players feel they have a solution that would get everyone back to business.

Does it include a salary cap?

I'm going to bet that it does not, but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to negotiate one anyway. My guess is that they'll propose a luxury tax that would match each dollar for every dollar that went over $40-45 million. To get any party of a hockey season in, they'd have to get something rolling now to have it ready by January. The players know it, the league officials know it, and everyone wants to start getting paychecks and medical insurance again.

I also wouldn't expect the NHL to open the doors under a tentative agreement either. The last time they did, they ended up getting burned on such things as rookie salary minimum levels. The NHL owners are all business this time, and seem determined that nothing will stay in their way -- even if it means union busting.

Chris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings was heard saying that the players won't accept a $31 million salary cap, but might be willing to talk about something in the $45 million range. The one problem I've seen is that no one is negotiation. They're all presenting, and then demanding. Bettman and Goodenow are both guilty of this.

I don't think I fault the players entirely in this situation. They are mostly brainwashed by the union, and want a "fair" paycheck like any employee would want. I also don't fully fault the league. They want to cut losses out now, and prevent any more teams from going bankrupt.

My advice to both sides is simple. Agree on a fair salary cap. Put in exemptions, such as in the NBA, where teams can go slightly above the cap, without penalty, in order to keep a player for the cycle of his career. I would also suggest that a good revenue sharing plan be put into place. I by this I do not mean revenue sharing that would put more money into the player's pockets, but revenue sharing that would be spread amongst the league owners, to help pay the bills.

This season can be saved if the heads of the NHL and the NHLPA open their minds a little bit, and stop viewing the other as the enemy. Each side wants the same goal met, and it's time they act like it.

-Dan Joseph