On Tuesday, the NHL Players Association made its strategy for collective bargaining negotiations with the owners very clear: divide and conquer.
By agreeing to accept a hard salary cap and a lower percentage of hockey-related revenue over the next three years, the NHLPA showed itself sympathetic to the plight of teams (presumably in smaller markets) that are in financial trouble. By suggesting greater revenue sharing, the players made another move to line up with the owners in smaller markets, using their support to overpower the league's richer owners and get a new collective bargaining agreement done.
However, there was one glaring hole in the plan the NHLPA presented on Tuesday, and that was made clear when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the media following Wednesday's negotiating session.
Bettman said on Wednesday that he is disappointed that the NHLPA's proposal did not address the contractual issues that the owners raised in their original proposal last month. The owners had proposed that entry-level contracts be extended for five years, with players not becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency until they've played 10 seasons as a pro. In their response, the players looked to keep the contract structure as is.
The NHLPA is keenly aware of the fact that owners of small market teams don't like losing their top players to clubs with deeper pockets before they can build a proper contender. That's why they proposed more revenue sharing: to deepen the pockets of smaller-market teams. It's a wise move, but at the end of the day, the owners' proposal probably benefits small-market owners more, because it gives teams as many as three extra years to find success with a player who might otherwise bolt for greener pastures at the first opportunity.
Sure, the Nashville Predators didn't like losing Ryan Suter to the Minnesota Wild, and having to match the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Shea Weber couldn't have been fun, either. However, through their initial offer, the owners have the more effective solution, since Suter in particular wouldn't have been eligible to leave this summer under the new proposed contract structure. If the players are to follow through on a smart first step, they need to find a way to get around this problem.
The owners came out swinging in CBA negotiations, calling for the players' share of hockey-related revenue to drop from 57 percent to 46 percent, and that was never going to fly. By the same token, though, a lack of action on the contract structure probably won't work either. If the NHL and its players are to avoid a lockout by September 15, then they'll both need to make some movement.
