- Pierre LeBrun via twitter: LeBrun talked to a league executive who said there is either a deal this week or there is no season. LeBrun isn’t sure if it’s that clear cut but you never know.
- Stu Cowan of Hockey Inside/Out: No official bargaining sessions have been scheduled, but the NHL and NHLPA are expected to talk in New York at some point. Gary Bettman has already said that Thursday is the deadline to save the 82 game season. Bill Daly on whether a deal can get done by Thursday,
“that’s more of a question for the union than it is for me.”
“We think there’s a framework of a deal on the table,” he added.
- AP in the Dallas Morning News: The NHL and NHLPA talked over the phone again yesterday, but don’t appear to closer to getting back the negotiating table.
“We had a conference call today to answer some of their questions,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Sunday. “No bargaining. And no bargaining meetings scheduled.”
Bill Daly and Steve Fehr also talked on Saturday.
“There are multiple frameworks for a deal on the table,” Steve Fehr said Sunday. “We gave them three good ones on Thursday. Each moves toward a 50-50 split of (hockey-related revenue) that the league wants. Each allows the contracts in place to be honored.
“Unfortunately, after considering these proposals for about 10 minutes the league rejected them and essentially said that they are not moving off their last proposal.”
- Kevin Gibson via twitter: 135 games (11%) of the season has been cancelled so far. If there is no agreement this week that would save a 82 games schedule, 11% of the players salary will be gone.
- Matias Strozyk via twitter: Mikko Koivu signed with TPS through the end of November. An extension after that depends on the lockout and taxation.
- Matias Strozyk via twitter: Colin Greening signed a 3 game contract with Aalborg of the Danish league.
- Slava Malamud via twitter: Capitals prospect Evgeni Kuznetsov, “When NHLers leave, the arenas will be empty.”
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The Oilers blueline will have some depth. Justin Schultz is playing in the AHL before making the jump. Martin Marincin and Oscar Klefbom may not be far away. Taylor Fedun is coming back from a broken leg. Martin Gernat, David Musil and Dillon Simpson are still in the system. All of Ryan Whitney, Ladislav Smid, Andy Sutton and Theo Peckham are on the last year of their NHL deals. Nick Schultz, Jeff Petry and Corey Potter have 2 years left on their deals. Smid will definitely be re-sighed. Colten Teubert and Alex Plante have struggled so far.