Every year, I like to play the unique role of outside insider / prognosticator / comedian with my annual ridiculous predictions series of posts. This time out, I’m making my ridiculous predictions for the NHL Trade Deadline. After all, when experts and reporters talk about deals at the trade deadline, they always think that teams will make deals that make sense for all involved. In reality, the NHL doesn’t work that way. Players have no-trade clauses in their contracts and some GMs have no sense whatsoever. So let’s take a fun look at this year’s NHL trade deadline.
NHL 2012-13
There Is No Right Side In The 2012 NHL Lockout
In 2004, it was clear to the fans that the NHL wasn’t going to survive as it was without a decrease in spending on player salaries. After locking out the year for a league, the NHL got a salary cap that gave players a maximum of 57% of hockey-related revenues which resulted in a salary rollback of 24%.
Seven years after the first lockout ended, we’re basically back where we started. The owners say they are losing money and need to cut spending. The players aren’t willing to rollback their salaries again given that the NHL is going through a period of record revenues.
With both sides claiming that the other side is plenty rich enough, we’ve reached another impasse and another lockout. Unlike the last lockout, no one side is right and no one side is wrong. Everyone has played a part in arriving at the latest NHL lockout. Continue reading
The Lowdown 