September 15.
Thats when the current NHL collective bargaining agreement expires.
The current CBA expiration date is no doubt wreaking havoc with the present UFA and trade markets, respectively.
The CBA mosaic serves as an ominous drop cloth that is draped behind the 2012 free agency market. That said, the 30 NHL GMs have a clear and distinct understanding that the cap for 2012-13 season is $70.2 million, from US$64.3-million, and the floor that teams must spend to will also jump to $54.2-million. Hard to believe that the cap ceiling was set at $39 million after the lockout, eh?
Preliminary talks began Friday in NYC, and it is expected commissioner Gary Bettman will attempt a rollback on the
57% of the players' share of the pizza pie called league revenue. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, and his players-only committee of 31 NHLers, will likely get their lumber up on Bettman and his negotiating strategy. After Friday's preliminary session, Donald Fehr issued this statement:
“Eight Players on the Negotiating Committee, along with NHLPA staff, met with Commissioner Gary Bettman, four NHL owners and a number of League staff and legal counsel at the League’s office in New York. Following today’s meeting, we will review the NHL’s initial presentation with the Players’ committee before reconvening for further talks later next week."
Will the players accept a 50/50 split, or, will they did their skate edges in for a prolonged fight?
One can't help but be encouraged by the way the players and the owner have been behaving in recent months in preparation for the new CBA. By comparison, the 2004 CBA expiration was a bloody mess. Back then, the PA and owners were at each other's throats, while fighting and sniping back and forth. This time around, there is a distinct air of civility and respect among all parties involved, which should make for a smoother, more amicable negotiation.
This much is true: the 2012-13 season will not be cancelled. I doubt that we see a delay to the start of the regular season. Perhaps the cancellation of a couple of exhibition games. Thats it. The owners, GMs, players, and all parties concerned want to play the game. The business aspects will get worked out shortly so that there is no interruption to an otherwise thriving economy known as the NHL.
The Justin Schultz sidebar auction is holding up the process as well. Six teams are throwing themselves at a college defenseman who has never played a minute in the NHL. This thing makes the Fabian Brunnstrom soap opera from a couple years back look functional and normal. Schultz is repped by Newport Sports out of Mississauga, the same agency that reps Zach Parise and other top NHL free agents.
GMs and agents..... start your engines!!!
The free agent frenzy is about to lift off!
I'm excited for the Sabres and their aspirations of landing one (or more) of their twoUFA targets. They are definitely interested in landing
Zach Parise and Shane Doan.
To Hell on Rick Nash and his camp for stagnating an otherwise exciting second-wave trade market. The dowry that Nash's camp is demanding in return for his services is ridiculous. However, there will be 2-3 GMs who will over-pay in order to land Nash. Once Nash is dealt-- and he WILL be dealt, the trades will happen in a flurry.
Bobby Ryan and Steve Ott are two difference makers that the Sabres have set in their cross hairs.
Nash will likely land in NYC, Detroit, or Toronto. Hate to say it, but Ryan will likely be a Flyer by the time its all said and done.
Thats why if I'm Pegula, Regier, Ruff, and Black, I load up a limo bus and high tail it to the offices of Newport Sports in Mister and Mrs. Sauga, where Parise will likely be meeting with NHL suitors on Sunday at Noon sharp. If I'm Drew Stafford, I'm inviting myself to the Parise pitch meeting.
In order to import player(s), Regier will have to export player(s). Have we seen the last of Derek Roy in Buffalo?
For those of you saying that Buffalo doesn't have a snow ball's chance in Hell of landing Parise, or Suter for that matter, you've got another thing coming. Terry Pegula has the financial autonomy to scratch a check for millions of dollars in up-front money in order to lure parise to Buffalo. Tyler Myers will make $12 million this season. Pegula has the ability to make bubble payments (translated: sick money) in first couple of years of the contract. He can also pay signing bonuses to would-be UFA targets. His rival owners around the league cannot play the same way. Money is no object to Terry Pegula. If his East Resources corporation has to drill another well to pay for Zach Parise, so be it.
Never under-estimate the resources of a billionaire. Never under-estimate Terry Pegula and his desire to win a Stanley Cup.
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