Next meetings critical for NHL, NHLPA

When it comes to lawyers, you must be careful about using the word “offers.” It’s possible no official offers were presented. But, what these two often do is say, “If we proposed this, what would your side think?” or something along that line. So, what you can expect is that Bill Daly and Steve Fehr went through a lot of that, trying to see how far their adversary is willing to go and what really are the cornerstone issues here.

It’s the next meeting that’s going to be critical.

Why? As I checked Sunday morning, there weren’t a lot of details available (if any) to those who were outside the meeting. Over the next 24-48 hours, both the NHL and NHLPA are going to digest what happened and send updates to their constituents. That will determine the true tone of where we are and whether any real traction was made. Once the players and governors get their memos and begin to react, strategy for the next get-together will be shaped.

It’s at this moment both sides will decide how much farther they are willing to bend, if it all. If there’s room for compromise, we’ve got a chance. If there isn’t, we’re in trouble.

The danger is in the toxicity. Make no mistake, a lot of anger remains in the process. It doesn’t take much to ignite those feelings, especially when the lightning rods — Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr — are in the room.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2012/11/after-private-talks-next-meetings-critical-for-nhl-nhlpa.html


18 Responses to Next meetings critical for NHL, NHLPA

  1. lafleur10 says:

    Let’s hope they get some common ground and make progress i really want to watch hockey this year,another year,winter without hockey will be very boring,………..like now nothing on t.v. the wife loves it though because she says she can watch suvivor and her other shows without intertruption by me having to check the habs highlights and the scores around the league!

    hockey please come back!!

    • Shoelesshobo says:

      My problem is this year we had the winter classic and my buddy and I had plans. Also HBO 24/7 leafs was going to be bananas. Get the finally see Phaneuf for what he is.

      • mojo19 says:

        I know, I was gonna go to that too.

        On the plus side, they say they’re going to try to get the Leafs and Red Wings back in the Winter Classic for next year when hopefully Toronto will have a better team.

    • JoelLeafs says:

      Anyone know if these types of ads have rolled out for this year yet? I am sans cable but favourably recall Beer and Nike running ads telling the L and PA to get their shit together.

      Brilliant marketing, if you ask me. Plus, they must have been fun as hell to make.

      Here’s one of the Nike ads (though only for the first 30 secs or so):
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpZfovuQQac

  2. LN91 says:

    Raptors, though horrible, gives Torontonians some entertainment.

    Later Canada,

    From Toronto

    • mojo19 says:

      More interested in baseball free agency.

      I did take Bargnani in my fantasy pool though, and he’s been terrible for me so far. That was a mistake.

  3. leafs_wallace93 says:

    Leaf fans should be hoping for a cancelled season…

    The last lockout the Leafs got bent over because of financial woes (thank you Owen Nolan) and an aging roster so they missed out on a fantasy league type off season. However given the mounting pressure of 7 lost seasons and no delusions of having contender potential (yeah, Mats wasn’t good enough to build a contender around) a GM could take advantage of a loaded UFA pool.

    The best thing about the lockout is that it handicaps teams ability to re-up their existing talent to extend their pending UFA talent.

    So a team with money could supposedly offer Getzlaf and Perry fat contracts to stay together. They might be a bit cashed starved after a year off. Not to mention the Leafs would have among the best odds in a draft lotto. Neither would be a lock however the Leafs would be well positioned as any team to make a run at turning over their roster for high end talent.

    If the last lockout was an indication then the trade market would be interesting as well. Gardiner, Rielly would make interesting trade bait for a blockbuster.

    • toronto77 says:

      Gardiner and Rielly are going to be our best defenders for the next 10+ years, percy, blacker, finn should be used as trade bait.

      • leafs_wallace93 says:

        I want to emphasize that I’d be more excited about teams not having the opportunity to extend their pending UFAs.

        However I think people are in for a rude awakening with Gardiner and Reilly, more so Gardiner. Toronto will turn on either the moment they fail to live up to the hype and a once great commodity will become worthless.

        We do this routinely with blueliners. Build them up them trash them the second the turn over the puck once or twice in any given game. Phaneuf was top five in minutes, top ten in blueliner scoring and -5 on a terrible team and people talk about him like he’s useless. The honeymoon phase with Gardiner has maybe a season and a half left. In the meantime he could be the piece to finally land a quality center.

        Percy, Blacker ect… aren’t prospect that will land a superstar forward.

        • ZillyHoo says:

          You’re right. Our prime example here is Schenn.

          Still, I’m reluctant to give up either Gardiner or Reilly. Gardiner has had time to develop unlike Schenn, not rushed, and he’s had success at every level. Not sure about Reilly.

  4. Gambo says:

    So since when can Toronto have a decent sports team? Does this make the Jays contenders?

    • mojo19 says:

      It gives us a legitimate chance to compete for the first time since the year we acquired B.J. Ryan, A.J. Burnett, and Troy Glaus. I believe we won 87 games that year, which was pretty solid.

      I think the core we have now is stronger, and this trade is more significant than those signings. So we’re probably, at least on paper, in the best shape we’ve been in for a long time. Now we just have to get a good manager and hope to stay healthy and we could be in the hunt next September and October.

      • mojo19 says:

        I still wouldn’t mind another bat, and move EE to DH, but I guess that could be a mid season or deadline pick-up.

        As of right now we’re looking at:

        1. Jose Reyes, SS
        2. Emilio Bonifacio, 2nd
        3. Jose Bautista, RF
        4. Edwin Encarnacion, 1st
        5. Brett Lawrie, 3rd
        6. Colby Rasmus, CF
        7. J.P. Arencibia, DH
        8. John Buck, C
        9. Rajai Davis/Maicer Izturis, LF

        + D’Arnaud, Gose, McCoy, Lind

        Reyes definitely adds some pop to the top of that order. And between Reyes, Bonifacio, and Davis, you’re looking at some seriously dangerous base runners. Lots of stolen bases, keep the opposing pitchers on their toes.

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