NHL CBA Talks: The Players Strike Back - but with a velvet glove?

Today, as expected, the NHLPA presented their proposal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but steered shy of the word "counter-proposal" because their vision of the league's future is fundamentally different than that proposed by the owners over a month ago.

For hockey fans hoping for a timely start to the season, there is a tiny ray of hope here, in that the players chose not to take a super-aggressive stance like the owners did, when a "gimme gimme gimme" attitude came across in every point. Instead, they offered significant concessions on key issues which may allow the two sides to avoid the drawn-out affair which led to a lost season and the imposition of the salary cap back in 2005. Emphasize that word "may".

Only now are negotiations truly going to get underway, however, now that each party has laid out their starting positions. It took a long time to get to this point, and to expect that an agreement will get hammered out in time for an October 11 Opening Night is, to put it bluntly, optimistic.

UPDATE: Video of NHLPA head Donald Fehr's address after today's session follows...

Follow @Forechecker

Players OK With Salary Cap

Interestingly, and running counter to expectations, Donald Fehr indicated after the session that the players' proposal does include a hard salary cap. In addition, their proposal has them accepting less of a share in Hockey Related Revenues over the next 3 seasons, recognizing that some teams need financial relief. Of course, the devil is in the details, and we have yet to see the specifics of the NHLPA proposal.

The major issue on the ownership side is the disparity between the Haves and Have-Nots of the league, which has many teams raking in tremendous profits while others struggle to keep up with the rising salary environment. The owners' initial proposal sought to carve enough cash out of the players to make everybody happy at the Board of Governors meetings, and the NHLPA is seemingly putting the onus back on the league, through "more aggressive and targeted revenue sharing."

Attention Shifts To The Owners

Watchful eyes will now turn to Gary Bettman and the owners' camp, to see how the NHL responds to this offer. Perhaps more important than the specifics of their next proposal will be the timing - will it take days or weeks to arrive?

Those owners, remember, are coming from a strong position. They already have 2012-2013 season ticket money in the bank, and are better suited to wait out a lockout than the players. More NHL players make less than $1 million per season than make more (369 are above that mark for 2012-2013 per NHLNumbers.com, out of an NHLPA membership of 863).

Many in that majority will start getting uncomfortable once paychecks are missed beginning in October. That's when the pressure will truly escalate, and only then do I expect we'll see a deal struck.

Teams are already talking about cancelling prospect tournaments that they usually conduct as a lead-in to training camp, and of course the European games that traditionally open the season were scrapped months ago.

According to the players' union, no Nashville Predators participated in today's session.

Who is the Greatest #17 in Nashville Predators history?

We have a quartet of prime candidates for today's entry in the jersey number series. A banger, a scorer, a bargain-bin wonder and a minor-leaguer who rose to the challenge all vie for today's top spot...

Follow @Forechecker

Patrick Cote (1998-2000)

Selected as part of the 1998 Expansion Draft from Dallas, Cote piled up 242 penalty minutes during the Preds' inaugural season to lead the team. He played just 21 games in 1999-2000 to wrap up his career as a Predator before moving on to Edmonton.

Scott Hartnell (2000-2007)

One of the more popular players in team history, Hartnell was picked in the 1st round (6th overall) in 2000 by Nashville and stepped right into an NHL job, an incredibly rare feat in this organization. He still ranks in the teams Top 10 in Games Played (436, 10th), Goals (93, 9th) and Power Play Goals (30, 6th). Perhaps my favorite moment was when he came back to Nashville the first time as a Philadelphia Flyer, however, and when his mug was put up on the big screen for a rousing round of applause, he responded with a wave to the camera like a five-year-old who had just caught a puck.

Jan Hlavac (2008)

Is this guy the Greatest Trade Deadline pickup ever by the Preds? He was acquired from Tampa Bay for just a 7th-round draft pick in 2008, and seemed to make a perfect fit alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat, scoring 3 goals and adding 10 assists in 18 regular season games for Nashville. Many were disappointed when the Predators simply let Hlavac go back to Sweden rather than bring him back for about $1 million during the summer of 2008. In the 2008-2009 campaign, the Preds suffered a horrendous lack of depth on the wing and failed to make the playoffs for the only time in the last eight seasons.

Chris Mueller (2011-2012)

The workmanlike hustler who made an impression on Preds fans when pressed into duty during the 2010-2011 season switched to #17 last season, going scoreless in four contests. He's inked to a two-way contract for 2012-2013, so we'll see if he gets another shot.

Poll

Who is the Greatest #17 in Nashville Predators history?

• Patrick Cote
• Scott Hartnell
• Jan Hlavac
• Chris Mueller

  6 votes | Results

David Poile talks shop: Monday afternoon notes

Your afternoon hockey notes include a surprisingly wide-ranging menu today - we've got one local blogger recounting a talk with Preds GM David Poile, another opining on what has been at times a bizarre summer, and the scandalous(!) unmasking of a notorious rumor-monger...

Nashville Predators News

The View from 111: A Conversation with David Poile
Mark participated in a roundtable that a few bloggers had today with David Poile, in which he held forth on a variety of topics, from the Radulov/AK46 incident to the CBA, and much much more.

Still More Tough Luck for the ‘Other’ Other Guys: The Fans | Predators AJenda
AJ has been stewing over the Ryan Suter & Shea Weber contracts, and notes that while we can argue over which team won each battle, it's the fans like you & me who end up footing the bill.

2012 U.S. WJC Camp Final Wrap Up | The United States of Hockey
Jimmy Vesey is still in the running, having survived the cut-down to 34 players.

Nashville Predators GOAL Program - Nashville Predators
Registration opens Tuesday morning for the latest round of the GOAL program, a wonderful opportunity for kids 4-7 to get their first taste of hockey. Check this one out if you have kids, folks, it's a fantastic (and FREE) program. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and fills up quickly, so plan ahead.

If you're looking for some puck talk, listen in as Pete Weber, Mark Howard, and Stu Grimson take a look around the Central Division:

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

@kyriacou22's Blog: Who is hockeyyinsiderr?
Is the notoriously anonymous rumor-monger a 17-year-old from Quebec? WHO CARES - he and his ilk are not worth following, so once again, please don't bother pointing people his way, even if he tweets something about the Predators. Doing so only makes you look like a hockey rube.

Hockey Primetime - Fans wave digital picket signs as CBA negotiations heat up
Now here's a novel idea. Protest a potential lockout by disengaging from official social media outlets of the league and its players until they hammer out a deal...

NHL’s pay to Bettman nears $8 million - SportsBusiness Daily
It's good to be the king.

Giguere Earns a 1 Year $1.5M Contract Extension - Mile High Hockey
Colorado brings back the veteran backup to Semyon Varlamov.

Confessions of a hockey blogger: my father-in-law posed in Penthouse | Backhand Shelf
Oh come on, whose hasn't?

History Lessons: Leagues of the Northern Wilds | Backhand Shelf
E takes us back to the dawn of professional hockey.

Who is the greatest #16 in Nashville Predators history?

Our Predators jersey series moves right along to number 16. There are not any players that stand out in this set of candidates, yet what is interesting is most of them spent the majority of their time playing for the Milwaukee Admirals and not for the Preds themselves.

Ville Peltonen

Spending most of his time in various European leagues, the Finnish forward periodically returned to the NHL throughout his career. After playing for a year for Västra Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elite League, where he was the best pointman (scoring 51 points in 49 games), Peltonen returned to the NHL to play for the expansion Nashville Predators in 1998. His return was very promising, as he scored 10 points in his first 14 games. However, a serious shoulder separation put him out of action for the remainder of the year. The following season, Peltonen returned to the Predators lineup, with an NHL career high of 6 goals and 28 points in 79 games. Nevertheless, the next season for him would not be as prolific at the NHL level, scoring only 4 points in 23 games with the Preds before being reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals for the remainder of the season, where he scored 27 goals and 60 points. That season, he was selected to play in the AHL's All Star Game. After the conclusion of the 00-01 season, Peltonen became a free agent and returned to his home country to play for Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League.

Marc Moro

For anyone who happens to have NHL Center Ice and is keen on watching Toronto Maple Leafs games, you may have seen Moro as an analyst on Leafs TV. Before becoming a media personality, Moro spent some time with the Nashville Predators. Moro was dealt to the Nashville Predators along with Chris Mason for goaltender Dominic Roussel at the start of the Preds' inaugural season. Moro spent the majority of his time with the Predators organization at the IHL level with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 258 games with the Ads, he accumulated 9 goals and 36 points, climbing the ranks to team captaincy in the 99-00 season. In the 01-02 season, Moro was called up to the Predators as an injury replacement for 12 games before being traded at the trade deadline to the Toronto Maple Leafs for D.J. Smith and Marty Wilford.

Jere Karalahti

Having proudly donned 16 on the back of his jersey, the Finnish defenseman also wore 13. In our piece on the best #13 in Preds history, we describe Karalahti's career in greater detail. The readers deemed Nick Spaling to be the best #13. How will Karalahti fair against these candidates?

Denis Pederson

Before coming to the Predators, Pederson became very familiar with the New Jersey Devils defensive program of the late 90's (which eventually carried them to their second Stanley Cup in 5 years) and transformed into a very effective defensive forward. The Predators signed him as a free agent in the 2002 offseason, and Pederson only spent half a season during the Predators' 02-03 campaign, amassing 4 goals and 10 points in 43 games. He would then travel overseas to compete with Eisbaren Berlin of the German League before returning to the NHL in 2006, when he was signed by the St. Louis Blues.

Timofei Shishkanov

The third, and certainly not the last Russian of our jersey series, Shishkanov was the 33rd overall selection of the Nashville Predators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Shishkanov perfected his game in Russia before making his North American debut, winning gold with Russia's World U-18 team in 2001 and gold with Team Russia at the 2003 World Junior Championship. Shishkanov was immediately assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals in the 03-04 season and made his North American debut with them. He was instrumental in helping the Admirals catch the Calder Cup title that year, scoring 23 goals and 43 points in the regular season and 2 goals and 8 points in the playoffs. He would never be able to reach those numbers again in North America. Throughout the next three years, Shishkanov saw very limited action (2 games) in Music City before being dealt to the St. Louis Blues for Mike Sillinger halfway into the 05-06 season.

Darcy Hordichuk

After the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Hordichuk came to the Predators from the Florida Panthers and recorded career-highs with 7 goals, 6 assists and 13 points (and a remarkable +9) in his first season with the team. He holds the team record for most PIM and most hits in his first season (163,150), Hordichuck's presence never failed to be noticed and was key in the Predators' journey to finally clinching a playoff bid in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, after becoming a free agent during that offseason, his rights were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2008 fifth-round draft pick on June 19, 2008. He was not able to come terms with the Hurricanes and instead signed with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1^st.

Cal O'Reilly

O'Reilly was selected in the fifth round, 150th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators, and he would proceed to join the Predators organization at the tail end of the season by playing for the Milwaukee Admirals. He continued with the Ads for two consecutive seasons, impressing the Preds' upper management by recording 34 goals and a total of 144 points. O'Reilly was recalled by the Predators the following season, playing only eleven games (3G-2A) before being reassigned to Milwaukee for the rest of the season, accumulating 13 goals and 69 points. The Predators gave O'Reilly another chance in the 09-10 season. He split his time with the Preds and Ads and managed to score his first NHL goal against Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick on March 28, 2009. The next season O'Reilly played the most games with the Predators that he had every played (38) and managed to score 6 goals and 18 points. On July 7, 2011, O'Reilly signed a one-year contract with Preds, but at the start of the season, O'Reilly was traded from the Predators to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th-round draft pick in 2012 (the Preds ended up choosing Zachary Stepan).

Poll

Who is the greatest #16 in Nashville Predators history?

• Darcy Hordichuk
• Jere Karalahti
• Marc Moro
• Cal O'Reilly
• Denis Pederson
• Ville Peltonen
• Timofei Shishkanov

  181 votes | Results

Happy Birthday, Shea Weber

Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber turns 27 today. What do you get for the guy who just signed a $110 million contract?

---

Shea Weber

#6 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-4

Weight: 232

Born: Aug 14, 1985

---

---

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2011 - Shea Weber	19	30	49	+21	46

---

Here are some ideas to get the conversation started:

• An industrial-grade beard trimmer
• A black velvet painting of Ryan Suter
• Miniature giraffes

Got any bright ideas, folks?

CBA Negotiations loom large: Monday's notes

With the Olympics over, and most of free agency wrapped up, there's nothing left to distract us from the major issue facing the hockey world these days - CBA negotiations between the owners and players. With the NHLPA expected to submit their counter-proposal this week, things could start to get pretty ugly...

Follow @Forechecker

Nashville Predators News

The Hockey Junkies: One-A-Day: Nashville Predators
A rather unique take on the events of the summer, presented in the form of a mock Shea Weber roast...

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Dances with Wolves: Supporting the Players this Time | All Habs Hockey Magazine
That throwaway comment from 2004 about ticket prices is sure to come back and haunt the owners this time around.

Larry Brooks: Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL determined to cut players’ salaries, which would lead to lockout - NYPOST.com
Larry Brooks' use of hyperbolic language undermines the basic truths being expressed here.

NHL CBA negotiations set to be front page news - Ottawa Sun
Bruce Garrioch gets the crux of the issue with the CBA negotiations. This isn't about the owners vs. the players, it's big-market vs. small-market owners.

In Case of Lockout, N.H.L. Has Leeway on Winter Classic - NYTimes.com
Most expect the Winter Classic to be the impetus for eventually getting a deal done and starting the season, but if the NHL does have to cancel, they wouldn't lose much of their $3 million stadium rental fee.

Shea Weber, Louis C.K., and the real reason offer sheets are so rare | Puck Daddy
The salary cap system has pretty much ruined the notion of acquiring players via offer sheet.

The Peerless Prognosticator: The Value of Top-Five Draft Picks
The Preds haven't had one of these since David Legwand all the way back at the very beginning, in 1998.

1st Shift Corsi by Zone: The Impact of Neutral Zone Performance on Future Success - Fear The Fin
Here's a novel way to slice up the Corsi data.

Andreas Lilja to miss start of season after hip surgery - Broad Street Hockey
Uh oh, something tells me they're gonna offer sheet Jon Blum. (no, not really)

No NHL comeback for Cristobal Huet, signs 4-year deal with Swiss team | Puck Daddy
So... one day he says he belongs back in the NHL, then he signs with a 2nd-division Swiss team?

2012 U.S. WJC Camp: Day 8 Recap — USA vs. FIN | The United States of Hockey
Another update on how the kids are doing.

Who is the greatest #15 in Nashville Predators history?

The Predators jersey series moves on to number 15, with Botox and goal gaffes highlighting this set of candidates...

Drake Berehowsky

When Berehowksy was claimed from the Edmonton Oilers by the expansion Predators in 1998 (along with Eric Fichaud and Greg de Vries), the Canadian defenseman was crucial on the Preds powerplay and was instrumental in their transition game. In 1999-2000 he set career highs with 12 goals and 32 points, leading the Preds defense in goals. That same year, he led the team in time on ice (22:40) and blocked shots (tied with Karlis Skrastins with 110). The following season was the second best of his career, with 6 goals and 24 points. His solid performance turned him into a very sought after defenseman at the 2001 trading deadline, when the Predators dealt him to the Vancouver Canucks. He would never achieve the same level of play in the NHL that he attained with the Predators.

Petr Tenkrat

The Czech forward came to the Predators from the Anaheim Ducks for Patric Kjelberg on November 1, 2001. Tenkrat played in only 58 games for the Predators before returning to Europe to play in the Finnish Elite League, yet while he was in Music City, he managed to register 24 points (8G-16A).

Rem Murray

Murray came to the Predators from the New York Rangers along with Tomas Kloucek and Marek Zidlicky in exchange for Mike Dunham on December 12, 2002. He spent two seasons with Nashville, playing a total of 82 games and accumulating 14 goals and 36 points in this span. Murray was soon diagnosed with cervical dystonia, a neurological movement disorder in the neck, during the 2003-2004 season, which forced him to retire shortly from the NHL.

At the end of 2003, Murray started experiencing severe pain and stiffness in his neck, which progressed to the point where his head was involuntarily forced to face the left. Murray was nevertheless determined to keep this secret from his teammates, the coaching staff, and even his pregnant wife. In January 2004, the symptoms became so severe that they became unavoidable. He was brought to the emergency room after a game in Toronto. Luckily, one of the most renowned Canadian neurologists, Anthony Lang, M.D, was on call that night. Dr. Lang, however, instantly diagnosed Rem with cervical dystonia and immediately referred him to a neurologist for treatment in the U.S. where Rem was living and playing with the Nashville Predators at the time. Murray soon began treatment with injections of Botox. Within a period of two years, Murray recovered and was eventually signed by the Edmonton Oilers in 2006, for whom he was a quintessential contributor to the 2007 run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kris Beech

In the summer of 2005, the center from British Columbia, Canada, was acquired by the Nashville Predators from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were disappointed with his development at the time. Beech only played 5 games for the Predators before being sent down to Milwaukee. After 48 games with the Admirals, with whom he amassed 18 goals and 50 points, he was traded at the trade deadline to the Washington Capitals for Brendan Witt.

Josh Langfeld

Signed as a free agent on September 4, 2007 by the Predators, Langfeld played only 2 games in Nashville before being relegated to Milwaukee. In 44 games with the Admirals, he scored 22 goals and 29 points. Unable to live up to the hallmark moment of his career, when he scored the 1998 NCAA championship-clinching goal in overtime for the Michigan Wolverines against Boston College and earning NCAA All-Tournament Team honors, he moved on to play for the Frankfurt Lions in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga the following year.

Matthew Lombardi

Nothing other than a black hole of money for the Predators, the speedy forward was deemed to be a key offensive component for Nashville following a 53-point season for the Phoenix Coyotes. Lombardi, an unrestricted free agent, signed a three-year, $10.5 million with the Predators in the 2010 offseason. However, after only two games with the Predators, he suffered a concussion and was unable to return for the remainder of the season. Due to uncertainty about his health and performance following Lombardi's hiatus, the Predators decided to deal him along with Cody Franson to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney, neither of whom would even play a game with Nashville themselves following the swap.

Craig Smith

Selected by the Nashville Predators in the 4th round (98th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Smith would become the first player since Colin Wilson to bypass the Admirals and play for the Predators directly. He was selected by Nashville for his excellent offensive instincts and awareness on the ice, as well as his good size and versatility to play both center and wing. On October 7, 2011, Smith scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game against Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Playing 72 games for Nashville this past season, Smith spent the majority of his time on the 4th line alongside Nick Spaling and Brandon Yip, scoring a total of 14 goals and 36 points. No Nashville fan will forget Craig Smith's most memorable game, joining the ranks of Patrik Stefan, when Craig Smith missed an empty net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Poll

Who is the greatest #15 in Nashville Predators history?

• Kris Beech
• Drake Berehowsky
• Josh Langfeld
• Matthew Lombardi
• Rem Murray
• Craig Smith
• Petr Tenkrat

  233 votes | Results