Great to see the situation resolved. I had severely underestimated the scope of the issues so, initially, I was surprised to see the dispute endure as long as it did.
From what I have read, the salary cap means something. It can't be circumvented by front-ended, long term deals and burying players in the AHL. There are a few "amnesty" buyouts, but-as I read the deal-teams will basically be stuck with bad signings.
I've always looked at this as nothing more than a rough labor/management dispute. It won't impact my interest in the game one iota. There were plenty of significant issues to be resolved to both sides satisfaction and it was not going to be an overnight matter-obviously
8 years of labor peace are now guaranteed, a "real" cap, and some more revenue sharing make the prospects brighter for the teams in the lower financial echelon. All in all, a very positive agreement from this CBJ fan's perspective.