Looks like Turkey Day in the U.S. is going to bring with it lots of news - CBA and Claude Giroux.
I fully expect that there will be a significant event in the CBA talks in New York City on Wednesday. Either the NHL is going to announce that the union has given it something to move the talks forward or we're going to have another blow up with both sides retreating to their dens through the holiday.
It has been widely reported that "if" the NHLPA presents a new proposal tied to a percentage of HRR - hockey related revenue _ as opposed to real dollars, then the process moves ahead.
Given how set the players are about being "made whole" on existing contracts, the only way I see this happening is if the players demand significant concession from the league on player contractual rights' issues.
As for Giroux ... that neck injury suffered in Germany has all of us alarmed.
Giroux is on his way back to the U.S. (Atlanta) for testing to confirm he does not have a whiplash concussion effect from the high elbow he took to the face.
He told me he "feels fine" and expects to be fine but let's not forget what Berlin GM Peter Lee told the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch on TUE - that Giroux complained of not "feeling right" and was being sent back for concussion testing.
That, to me, is of concern because we have all seen in player after player that sometimes, concussion effects manifest themselves days later and not right away.
When you think the number of NHL players who h ave been injured this fall playing overseas, you can understand why so many NHL clubs want this lockout over with and their players back on home ice.
It's one thing to lose your star player in an NHL game. It's another, however, to lose him playing overseas just to stay in shape.
That's a recurring nightmare for Paul Holmgren and others right now.
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