Two things struck me today after the CBA talks in Manhattan, in which the NHL extended a new offer.

First, Gary Bettman gave me a very long response to my question on revenue sharing and something that more or less startled me.

Bettman said revenue sharing would "not make or break" a deal in this CBA. That threw me because, as we all know, the NHLPA's platform for these talks is all about being far more creative around revenue sharing.

More on that in a second ...

The second thing that caught my attention was when Donald Fehr was asked whether the two sides are really speaking the same language in understanding each other's position and his response was, he wanted to withhold comment, for now.

Now go back to Bettman. If he truly doesn't think revenue sharing is that vital to the union's platform ... then he is clearly not speaking the same language as the union.

Bettman is right that the numerically, the two sides are close on revenue sharing. The union I am told wants $240 million spread around. The NHL is at $190 million.

Bettman, without giving us numbers, said the two sides were very close on the math. He is right about that. But he is very wrong on how they arrive at the numbers.

The owners want the revenue sharing gap bridged by the monies they can save by cutting player salaries. They want the players to put the revenue share on their back.

The union's counter is, under the CBA they have in place right now, revenue sharing is a by-product of HRR - hockey related revenues. The increases in monies has to come from HRR and not from cuts to p layer salaries.

I can tell you right now the NHLPA is NOT going to sign off _ at least not now and not in September _ on cutting their own salaries by millions of dollars to prop up the owner's revenue share cuts to the poor clubs.

The union wants the richer clubs to divvy out more $$$ in their "splits" to the poorer clubs.

And so long as Bettman and Fehr are polar opposite on this issues, then they aren't really close after all, and that makes it seem like a deal breaker to me.

I'm sure there is more in there. Many players still have not heard the full report from the union on today's new proposal from the NHL.

But my gut tells me, they won't be happy with it.

Here's more on today's developments and hockey, in general, from CSNPhilly.com:

cliick here

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