It's payback time.
It's time for the NHL Players Association and its new executive director, Paul Kelly, to put the boots to a ridiculous proposal floated by Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke.
It's believed that Burke has proposed that teams have the ability to pick up a maximum $500,000 US of a player's salary to facilitate trades. He and others of the same mindset are whining trades have dried up because most teams are hard against the salary cap.
Burke thinks his proposal would create more movement.
Any amendment to the CBA, which this would be, needs approval from the players union. Kelly, on behalf of his membership, needs to send a clear message to Burke and the league.
Something like, "Go screw yourself."
Lately, many GMs have been spending like drunken sailors on furlough, undermining the salary cap. Now they want to be able to undo their own costly mistakes by dumping them on another team.
Players can get a large measure of satisfaction by telling ownership what they can do with their mistakes.
You see, during the lockout NHL owners and GMs wanted cost certainty and the players capitulated to it. That cost certainty, however, has negated the ability to trade overpaid, under-performing players.
The players can't be blamed for a mess the GMs have created.
And it's not like anyone couldn't see this coming.
Post-lockout, there was a sense that many teams would spend as close to the upper limit as their budget would allow (this season's cap figure is a tad over $50 million US).
A look at current payrolls bears that out. Teams are spending an average of about $46 million US. With 17 of 30 teams spending more than the average, it's no surprise trades have slowed to a trickle.
Burke wants NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to look into his proposal, which he might do at the next board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach.
If I am the NHLPA, I get on my soapbox and tell the NHL to stuff it. The NHLPA isn't going to help fix their problems.
That would be payback, indeed.