On 7/16 New York Islander Fan Central had an entry about it being a time of going through the motions regarding discussion about a 2012-13 season/preseason games, other items.
It's why discussion of the team on the ice players, previews are completely worthless at this time, and why blog entries about it just a lot of words/little substance.
About the other thing of interest to me is that Rick DiPietro did not play for any team during the last lockout beyond US National team.
8/9/12 NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, continued to go through his CBA motions but finally announces there will be a lockout come 9/15/12 if there is no new CBA.
It's a movie most have all seen before. Fehr presided over the cancellation of a baseball season in progress at the time. Bettman over a full season NHL lockout.
CBA Motions Script:
1. Some owners (corporate/others) throw absurd money around in UFA while most claim to lose money, hurting their credibility.
2.Still time for an agreement mantra.
3. NHLPA is willing to play with current agreement because they are making huge money.
4. NHL makes it's first offer where everything is rolled back huge.
5. NHLPA's Donald Fehr would love to put in his baseball revenue system.
6. Lot's of player meetings among themselves, no doubt the owners communicating.
7. NHLPA working on their counter proposal.
8.Now we get to Bettman's deadline to lockout the players.
What's Ahead:
9. Fehr will push his baseball system/revenue sharing plan.
10. Bettman/owners will agree on letting players participate in Olympics as perfunctory concession.
10a. Fehr/NHLPA will agree to conference format as perfunctory concession players liked earlier.
11. The owners will start talking discussing the huge losses they are taking.
12. The NHLPA will start discussing why are they making such offers if losing money, and blast Craig Leipold's doubletalk.
13. More meetings/both sides get in the same room, more discussion, you will keep reading still time.
14. The media's of the teams wanting to spend whatever it takes will market their views, spin for all sides in media will be divided among market lines with the propaganda.
15. Fehr will make his best offer, but it will make only for a system of haves vs have not's.
16. Bettman will have none of it, even if one or two owners want him gone.
X Factor/Critical Moment:
This rhetoric is going to bring us to around 9/10 because Gary Bettman in the end is the agent of the owners, it comes down to the corporate owners wanting to spend/lose whatever it takes (minority) vs those franchises who cannot operate under this cba spending close to sixty million dollars, or able to throw front-loaded deals, or want a system where every top player makes at least thirty million with a NTC/NVC. (majority)
I would guess the way that plays out is the majority rules, will Ed Snider with his NBC Sportsnetwork go sit in the corner or again endorsement a lockout or throw around his Comcast/SMG weight.
Cablevision will be thrilled, more time to renovate until the signature tenant Knicks begin.
Charles Wang will likely save money during a lockout, no doubt he wants some revenue sharing given his money has helped support Phoenix as the league ran it.
Either way my projections of going through the motions lead us to the players locked out come 9/15 unless something very surprising happens.
Do not count on that happening.
