Well… it looks like the gauntlet has been thrown down in the CBA negotiations. OK, maybe not a gauntlet, but the first indication of the owners negotiating position came out late yesterday as Renaud P. Lavoie reported via Twitter the five major points from the NHL's first CBA proposal. According to the RDS reporter, these are:
1. Reduce players' share of hockey-related revenues to 46% (current 57%)
2. A player must have ten seasons in the NHL before being eligible for unrestricted free agency.
3. Player contracts limited to five years.
4. Eliminate salary arbitration.
5. Increase entry-level contract to five years (current three)
As I read these this morning, I almost dropped my coffee. A very aggressive first position if it ends up being true, and by all accounts I am seeing, they aren’t too far off. So let’s break these down point by point and try to put some context around them.
Reduce player’s share of hockey related revenue to 46% - This is just the starting point, the place to negotiate up from, I don’t see the owners believing this will be accepted and there is no way the players accept this number, unless the definition of “hockey related revenue” is dramatically expanded. I do believe that this percentage will drop somewhat, but not by 11 points, my prediction... this number ends up in the 52-53% range.
A player must have ten seasons in the NHL before being eligible to be a UFA - The interesting piece of this one is the elimination of the age requirement that exists in the current CBA. At present a player can be a UFA after seven seasons or at the age of 27. Ten seasons will be a lot for players to swallow. This may end up being one of the ones the owners throw out, leaving UFA where it stands.
Player contracts limited to five years - This one is to save the owners from themselves, to a degree. Limiting contracts to five years does a couple of things… it prevents the silly contract “tails” that make the cap hit manageable with some of these insane contracts, it also gives the player more chances to cash in. Take Zach Parise for example, he could’ve signed for five years with Minnesota then, at the age of 32, have the chance to increase his take even more.
Eliminate salary arbitration - I see this one as a complete non-starter, perhaps thrown in there to give the owners something very easy to give back in the negotiations. If this one goes through, I will be completely stunned.
Increase entry-level contracts to five years - The players will hate this one, from a fan perspective, I actually like this idea… especially given how much younger the league is getting.
These first proposals are shocking on first look… but then again… it is only a starting position. I am curious to see what the proposals are regarding restricted free agents, does it even exist in the new world? That will temper a lot of the free agent negotiations in regards to a new CBA. There are plenty of media members running around screaming that the sky is falling, keep in mind, this is a negotiation.
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Random Notes
- Jim Diamond, in his latest posting on
the Examiner has an interesting take on how this first proposal may impact the contract negotiations with RFA Shea Weber.
- Josh Cooper had a nice piece on Chris Mason in yesterday’s
Tennessean. He speaks of how much he and his family loved Nashville and how they wanted to come back… that goes right back ‘atcha Mase.
- Scott Hartnell is asking for an extension from the Philadelphia Flyers… makes a lot of sense for both sides.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets are still trying to trade Rick Nash, however, they are also making inquiries into Los Angeles Kings backup netminder Jonathan Bernier. Adding him to the mix with the mercurial Steve Mason, the recently acquired Sergei Bobrovsky will make for an interesting training camp.
- Is Chicago trying to rebrand itself as “Hockey City?” Really? After ignoring the Blackhawks for years before they won the cup… OK. Chicago has a reputation for being a great sports city, and most of it is deserved, but "Hockey City?" They have put together an outdoor double header at Soldier Field called the “Hockey City Classic” to happen over President's Day weekend in 2013. It will feature the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers playing Wisconsin’s Badgers and the Miami Redhawks will take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
- Speaking of Chicago, the Blackhawks have been rumored to be in on almost every goaltender in play the offseason, then come out and say they are happy with the situation in net… actions speak louder.
- Congratulations to Mike Modano, Ed Olczyk and Lou Lamorello on their election to the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Glad to see the good news out of Phoenix that the signature drive fell short… let’s get this thing done so the vultures can move on to their next target.
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