Wetcoaster said:
If you listen to Ferraro he states clearly that the players are the only ones who have tried to get a deal done. He was extremely critical of Bettman's tactics. He claims the NHL is going for a home run and not a deal - they are out to break the union.
He stated that although a few players may be wavering many of them are already playing overseas and there is no sign that there is any pressure to bring the owners' prooosals to the table for a general vote.
The part that I don't understand, it seems like the owners want the players to eat shyte along the way. There last proposal really went out of the way to include some things that were just INSANELY pro-owner (and I'm on the owners side).
Things like:
1) No hold outs. You sign a contract within 2 weeks of camp starting, or you are ineligible to play the entire year. This was always the players only leverage.
2) Adding a fourth year to rookie contracts. This is another HUGE advantage in the owners favor.
I'm not sure if the owners included those so they had something to negotiate away or what, but I would agree that it seems that the owners aren't really negotiating at this point. Instead, they are making demands and putting together an owner "wish list" for a new CBA. (To be fair, one big thing they did include was the profit sharing, which I think that people hear aren't making a big enough deal about).