Latest NHL offer

[ericdaoust]

Interesting quote:

https://twitter.com/dshoalts/status/284720430735032323

"NHL exec: Key is Jan 5. Need a deal by then to allow for 1 wk legal paperwork, 1 wk for camp, first puck drop Jan. 19. Otherwise it's over."

Could be smoke or could be truth. Either way, the deadline date cant be far off.

I keep going back to 2005. If they have a minimum requirement for games then why did they keep going till February 19 back then? Maybe the exec believes Bettman but if he feels he can sign in May and do a World Cup to replace the playoffs and make a bit of profit, he'll do that. These guys are businessmen.

[Dakkster]

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
League will consider "tweaks" or "trades" in what has been proposed, but another overhaul won't be received well.

[ericdaoust]

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
League will consider "tweaks" or "trades" in what has been proposed, but another overhaul won't be received well.

Until 2 weeks from now when they offer another overhaul.

[Dakkster]

I don't even see how this is an overhaul in the first place. The only thing that's left in the entire process is tweaking.

[tgraveline]

This does feel very close to me, but I'm souring about all parties involved. This just seems to close to not be just getting it done. Players have to be tired of missing paychecks. I don't expect them to all be great when it comes to handling finances and some are probably needing a check soon. I'm sure the NHL is banking on this happening at some point. So we'll see what happens. I'm trying to be optimistic, but I'm so burned by this whole process.

[Bnhershy]

a low key bullet point in the offer that i'm a fan of is the 'Creation of "interview period" for Unrestricted Free Agents.'

teams should be able to have more dialogue with a player before committing a boatload of money to him.

[Godin]

Only a 10 year CBA. Make it 25. I don't want to go through another lock out again while i'm alive.

[Bomm Bastic]

That doesn't make sense to me.
Camps and legal paperwork can be done at the same time, no?

Regardless, the NHL is a joke.
I hope arenas are empty all over the league when play resumes.

Yeah...the '94 lockout ended on Jan. 11th.

[newfcollins]

redden, gomez...

I don't know if Gomez will make sense. The buyout is for this summer. At that point, Gomez will have one year left on his contract that pays him $4.5 million. He could be more attractive to other teams trying to get to a cap floor, since his cap hit is $7.3 million.

To me, the Habs would be better off buying out Bourque (still being paid for three seasons after this one). I would rather one more season of Gomez than three more seasons of Bourque.

I think if you have the option of buying someone out and it not counting toward the cap, teams are better off swinging for the fences. Vincent Lecavalier would be my top choice. A $7.7 million cap hit, and under normal buyout circumstances, his cap hit in a couple of years would be more than $8 million. But if that buyout won't count toward the cap, all the better.

[ericdaoust]

I don't know if Gomez will make sense. The buyout is for this summer. At that point, Gomez will have one year left on his contract that pays him $4.5 million. He could be more attractive to other teams trying to get to a cap floor, since his cap hit is $7.3 million.

The Panthers are a great example of how to play the cap floor game properly. Gomez does nothing for a team but Fleischmann, Campbell, Versteeg and Theodore make the team better and put more asses in seats.

[STONE.]

I am sick of hearing about a drop-dead date: January 11th. The shitty part about a drop-dead date is that it pushes things back. Make the drop dead date tomorrow at midnight. I just don't see either side settling until the last possible second. The pieces are here -- get it done.

[One87]

I am sick of hearing about a drop-dead date: January 11th. The shitty part about a drop-dead date is that it pushes things back. Make the drop dead date tomorrow at midnight. I just don't see either side settling until the last possible second. The pieces are here -- get it done.

I hear ya... here's the latest:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/sp...&emc=rss&_r=1&

[dongjohnson]

Highlights of the NHL's proposal from today, courtesy of TSN (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=412383)

It looks to me that the league is giving in on most things, except contract length beyond 6 yrs. I'm not posting all of it but including a lot of highlights.

The following is the highlights of the latest proposal from the NHL to the NHL Players' Association:

- Ten-Year Agreement (through 2021/22 season); Parties have mutual opt-out right after 8 years.

- 50-50 Revenue Split between Clubs and Players with current HRR Accounting.

- $300 million in "Make-Whole" payments (outside the system) to compensate Players for the reduced value of Player contracts in the early years of the new CBA.

- No contractual "roll backs" of Player Salaries.

- Clubs can operate with an effective Upper Limit of $70.2 million in 2012/13; must come into compliance with $60 million Upper Limit for the start of the 2013/14 season.

- Each Club will be entitled to execute up to one "Compliance Buy-Out" prior to the 2013/14 season pursuant to which payments made to the Player will not be charged against the team's Cap, but will be charged against the Players' Share.

- Establishment of a Defined Benefit Pension Plan that will provide maximum permissible benefits to Players upon retirement. The Plan will be funded with contributions out of Players' Share and $50 million of the "Make-Whole" payment amount of $300 million will be allocated and set aside to fund potential underfunding liabilities of the Plan at end of CBA.

- Rules for Entry Level System, Salary Arbitration and Group 3 Unrestricted Free Agency will remain unchanged.

- Maximum contract length of 6 years subject to a Club's ability to re-sign its own Player for a term of up to 7 years (provided the Player played his last full season with the re-signing Club). In addition, year-to-year Salary variability will be limited (up or down) to no more than 10% of the value of the first year of a multi-year SPC.

- Money paid (above a defined threshold) to Players on NHL SPCs in another professional league (e.g., the AHL or a European league) will be charged against the NHL team's Cap, but not against the Players' Share.

- "Cap Advantage Recapture" formula applicable to existing long-term contracts (in excess of 6 years) for years in which Player is retired or fails/refuses to perform under his NHL SPC.

- Ability for Clubs to retain/allocate Salary and Cap Charges in the context of Player Trades within specified parameters.

- More robust League-wide Revenue Sharing Program (increased pool from approximately $150 million to $200 million) with creation of Industry Growth Fund to improve the long-term revenue generating potential of the League and low-grossing Clubs. Formation of active Revenue Sharing Oversight Committee on which NHLPA will participate.

- New Player Discipline procedures and protocol incorporating Player appeal rights to a neutral third-party arbitrator for both on-ice and off-ice discipline.

- Flexibility-related adjustments to Payroll Range System, including (in addition to Salary/Cap Charge allocation in Player trades):
1. Lower Limit obligation without performance bonuses;
2. Elimination of Re-Entry Waivers;
3. Creation of Salary Cap exceptions for emergency roster situations/goaltender injuries;
4. Waiver exemptions for mid-season signings of Club's own European Players;
5. Availability of Performance Bonus Cushion in every year of the CBA; and
6. Creation of "interview period" for Unrestricted Free Agents.

- Various Player contract enhancements and protections, including:
1. Early activation of "No Move/No Trade" clauses in contract extensions;
2. Additional restrictions on Club "buy-out" rights of Player contracts;
3. Modified Waiver obligations for Clubs / enhanced Waiver opportunities for Players;
4. Standardization of reimbursements and benefits related to Player assignments (trades, loans, recalls, etc.);
5. Continued increases in League Minimum Salary and Per Diem;
6. Playoff Pool increased from $6.5 million to $13 million in Year 1; additional regular increases over the balance of the CBA term;
7. All minor league salary paid in USD;
8. Liberalized "Cap treatment" standards for Club initiatives benefitting Players, such as "parent-son" road trips; milestone awards/gifts; parental travel and lodging for attendance at EL Player games, Club provision of various types of "professional development"-type services for Players, etc.

- Player "Working Condition" improvements, including:
1. Ice-time restrictions and mandatory "days off" requirements during Training Camp;
2. Club practice schedule and "days off" requirements during the Regular Season;
3. Extended "Christmas Break" (i.e., December 24-26 "days off" for all purposes);

- Elimination of NHLPA "Guarantee" of Escrow shortfall and increased NHLPA discretion to determine in-season Escrow Rates.

- Implementation of a weighted Draft Lottery in which all non-Playoff teams compete for opportunity to choose first overall in the annual Draft.

- Exclusive negotiating rights window for European Draftees extended to one period covering four years, instead of two periods covering two years each.

- Modification to "Four-Recall Rule" to remove limitation on "number of transactions" following the Trade Deadline; replace with limitations on the total number of Recalls on roster at any one time after the Trade Deadline.

- Updated and improved Grievance Arbitration process and procedure.

- Enhanced access to Game Tickets for Visiting Team Players and NHLPA.

- NHLPA representatives to be provided reasonable access to Club facilities and Players at reasonable times

[Stan Smyl]

isnt this the offer from the 28th?
If i am not mistaken, there has been a few counters back and forth that are not yet public?

[ericdaoust]

I have been semi out of the loop the last few days - can anyone confirm if Bill Daly is still alive or did he actually die on that hill?