Agent: Expect long lockout, maybe another lost season

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While a number of Bruins players are hanging around for the next week or two before finally leaving Boston for other hockey opportunities in Europe, there are no talks currently underway between the NHL and NHLPA.

The chasm between the two sides remains as expansive as the Grand Canyon where they cant agree on the simple breakdown of hockey related revenues for each side, and cant find middle ground on the expected importance of revenue sharing. One side wants a 10-20 percent rollback right off the top and the other side is looking for a deliberate decrease in their piece of the pie while continuing to link it with the burgeoning growth of the league.

Theres not a lot of common ground, and one player agent told CSNNE.com that he's thinking that the whole season might once again be in danger. The agent also is among the many on the players side that feel the late rush of player contracts signed just before the lockout -- including the 70.5 doled out to Brad Marchand, Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic -- were agreed upon with the idea that the teams would never have to pay the full value of the deals.

The agents tone is ominous, and makes it sound like the NHL season is legitimately in danger -- something everyone once saw as unthinkable after the incredibly damaging year lost in 2004-05.

"I see zero chance of a deal anytime soon," said the agent. "The idea of a 'roll back' and 'term limits' is all over the deals signed right before the lockout and Don Fehr knows it and is not going to roll over and agree to it.

"Expect a long lockout and maybe another lost season. Did not have to happen -- NHL no longer is even pretending to be 'partners' with the players. The players proposal addresses the weak team's problems. NHL touts franchise values rising and yet everyone losing money?"

With many of the NHL teams beginning to discuss staff layoffs and pay reductions and the NHL league office reportedly holding a Wednesday morning meeting to discuss potential lockout layoffs as well, it appears the league is digging in its heels for a lengthy fight.

Perhaps rather than holding meetings about laying off employees the NHL would be better served by continuing to work on a deal that could save a season thats slowly ambling into the crosshairs. But thats just one mans opinion, of course.

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