League lacks trading, free agent signing with lockout in the shadows -NHL Update
It is unsurprisingly quite nowadays in the National Hockey League (NHL), as the fourth biggest sport in the United States is on the verge of being locked out for the second time in a decade, but for many, it has an eerie feeling to it.
Not having anything going on in the sports world is always distressing and is always a bad sign of things to come but there are some people out there that are hoping for the best.
“This is just like 2004: We got to July 15 and basically nothing was done,” a high-profile agent told the Ottawa Sun. “It has pretty much gone the same way this year. You haven’t really see anything, with the exception of some contract extensions.”
There are obviously a lot of signs going on at this time, but only internally as players line up to get a good deal before a new collective bargaining agreement comes into play, if it does not result in a lockout. A new labour deal could mean many different
things, like a lower pay scale or extended terms and conditions on players. All these factors certainly mean a lot when signing a deal, which is why most players are not taking a risk at all.
The way things are going right now seem to have the players side on the edge and the clock ticking until they cave into the league’s demands of lowering the player share in team revenue and such one sided proposals, but the Players’ Association has also
decided to take a strong stance.
"Teams are saying, 'We'll give this to you now because we're not sure what the rules are going to be down the road.' In most cases, the players are jumping at the chance to get the security," added the executive.
Players like Shane Doan and Roberto Luongo are still waiting on their respective deals and September 15th is the deadline for them, but it is still unclear whether general managers around the league will be willing to give up that much to sign
before a potential lockout or wait to see what happens when the dust settles.
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