NHL Lockout: Breaking Down NHL's 2nd Proposal to Players' Association

The October 11 start date for the 2012-13 NHL season is rapidly approaching, but we still don't have an agreement between the league office and the Players' Association. That's troublesome, to say the least, for a sport that has fans who still remember the league's last labor lockout.

The NHL's current CBA will expire on September 15.

According to ESPN New York reporter Katie Strang, the league's brass submitted its second proposal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Tuesday:

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Six weeks after its initial proposal, the NHL submitted a second one to the NHL Players' Association on Tuesday when the two sides met for labor talks at the league's offices in Manhattan.

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No matter what the proposal is, this is encouraging. At least the two sides are talking (at this point) and not waiting for the other side to come toward them.

However, things aren't completely kosher. If they were, we'd be exclaiming our joy for the start of another season on the ice.

Let's highlight two key points from Strang's report regarding the NHL's most recent attempt at hockey harmony.

Revenue Reduction

Strang's report has this to say about the league's ideal revenue allotment:

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A source aware of the league's proposal said the six-year deal would include a re-definition of hockey-related revenue and a phased yearly reduction of that revenue for the players from where it currently stands at 57 percent to 50 percent percent by the fourth year, where it would stay for the remaining three years.

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For a point of reference, the first draft of the league's CBA asked the players to cut back to 43 percent of the revenue.

I won't pretend to be Alan Greenspan or anything, but that's a big difference for the players. With things like this, compromise is unavoidable, but it seems like the players are getting the short end of the stick.

The last time I checked, they were on the ice, risking their lives and limbs to put people in the stands. They are the attraction, not Gary Bettman, the owners or the coaches. People watch hockey for the excitement the world-class athletes provide.

A 50-50 cut for three years seems fair in terms of percentages, but the risks taken by players should give them an edge in the revenue department.

Fixed Salary Cap

Let's see what Strang had to say once again, this time regarding the potential salary cap constraints:

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The deal would also include a "fixed" salary cap of $58 million in the first year of the agreement, followed by $60 million in year two and $62 million in year three. The salary cap in 2011-2012 was $64.3 million, a number that was projected to increase to $70.2 million next season.

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There's one important aspect to touch on here that Strang doesn't mention in that blurb. The NHL's newest idea doesn't include player "salary rollbacks."

That's not necessarily a problem down the line, but many teams would be over the salary cap this season if this proposal goes through. With the season looming, that doesn't leave a lot of time to shed salary.

NHL franchises can't be happy about this idea. It's hard enough to fill out a team for the right price, but this new proposal would force them to scrape some of that work.

I'd be surprised if this issue doesn't come up again before this one is over.

The two sides still have time to reach an agreement. Both sides have to understand the gravity of this situation, and at some point, you would hope, that playing hockey becomes the most important issue at hand. Even more important than the money involved.

The lockout that occurred seven years ago still leaves an acrid taste in the mouth of any hockey fan, and all parties involved should be acutely aware of this.

Another labor dispute would be the death knell for a league that's just beginning to see its true popularity.

The league and Players' Association are expected to continue their talks throughout the week. Stay tuned for any new developments in this troubling situation.