Storm Clouds Circling Over NHL, Union

The post-lockout NHL certainly has a lot going for it, most notably the league's renewed emphasis on star power. The effort to eliminate the clutching and grabbing that sapped fan interest during the late 1990s and early 2000s has been unwavering, and the quality of play has improved dramatically as a result. And with the emergence of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby as the face of the league, it would seem that the best is yet to come.

The imposition of a salary cap as part of the current collective-bargaining agreement has also had a seemingly positive impact, enabling every team — be they from small or large markets — to compete for talent on a relatively level playing field.

But the post-lockout NHL has a dark side as well, one that is rearing its head with ever-increasing frequency. And as it has been throughout the league's long history, the primary issue is the failure of the owners and players to work together for the NHL's best longterm interests.

Whether it was the felonious dealings of Alan Eagleson or the belligerent battling by Bob Goodenow, the union has never managed to find a common ground with which to operate in negotiations with the owners. Today, there is actually a tremendous undertow of tension. If that tension isn't resolved in an amicable fashion, it is probable that there will be yet another work stoppage following the 2008–09 season, a horrific scenario that would without question prove disastrous for the future of everyone involved.

First and foremost among the players' concerns is the status of their union's leadership. The circumstances by which current union chief Ted Saskin rose to power following the lockout are quite murky, and an internal investigation — demanded by an unhappy faction of the union led by Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios — is under way. What will be discovered is anyone's guess, but if the players are infuriated by the findings, they probably will be ever more recalcitrant during the next round of negotiations.

Perhaps making matters worse, the Toronto Star reported yesterday that Toronto police have been investigating whether the NHLPA's technical staff was ordered to block and, in some cases, access the NHLPA.com e-mail accounts of players. According to the Star, the police have presented the findings of their two-week investigation to the Canadian courts. It will be up to them to determine if charges are warranted.

"The NHLPA is fully cooperating with the internal review process currently being conducted," said Saskin in a press release. "We remain confident that there have been no illegal activities at the NHLPA and are looking forward to responding to these allegations once the internal review has been completed and reported on to the membership."

Of course, the tumult within the union is far from the only pressing concern; there's also the matter of the CBA itself. Ostensibly put in place to ensure a level of economic parity, the CBA is instead showing itself to be just as flawed as the one that preceded it … and perhaps even worse. When the Edmonton Oilers concluded that they couldn't — or wouldn't — meet Ryan Smyth's contract demands, they traded him to the Islanders in a pre-deadline cost-cutting maneuver. And so the Oilers — perennial "sellers" in the pre-lockout NHL — today find themselves without Smyth, the "heart and soul" of the franchise, just as they once found themselves without Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Next season, the salary cap is expected to rise to approximately $48 million. And while that number falls far shy of the $80 million teams like the Rangers, Flyers, and Red Wings were willing to spend prior to the lockout, it still far exceeds what teams like the Oilers can afford to spend. And as long as the overall league revenue continues to rise, so too will the salary cap and the consequential disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots."

Now, the Islanders might have plenty of cap room to sign both Smyth and UFA-to-be Jason Blake. But they struggle badly at the gate, and because of their proximity to New York City, don't qualify for revenue sharing. And so, it's quite possible that both Smyth and Blake will be playing elsewhere next season, making this season perhaps the best chance the Isles will have to win the Stanley Cup for quite some time.

In fact, this "boom or bust" mentality that's being perpetuated isn't good for anyone: the owners, the GMs, the coaches, the players, or the fans. Rather than rewarding quality team building, the salary cap has put an expiration date on every team's opportunity to win before a rebuilding effort is needed.

Looking at the Pittsburgh Penguins, one can easily see the dangers of the current CBA. They boast a plethora of young talent at a level not seen since Gretzky's and Messier's Oilers burst onto the scene in the early 1980s, but the Pens have a very short window of opportunity in which to win … before the salary cap forces some very difficult decisions. There is little doubt that Sidney Crosby will command a maximum salary (20% of a team's cap-determined payroll), and if they choose to retain him, it will be virtually impossible for the Pens to retain the key members of his stellar supporting cast.

Is it good for the NHL if the Pens relocate to Kansas City (currently the most likely landing spot)? Hardly. Rather than putting forth an image of stability, the league will instead appear to be in a state of constant flux. For certain, comparisons between the Pens and the Quebec Nordiques — who moved to Denver and became the highly successful Avalanche — are easy to draw.

But there's good reason to question whether the Pens' relocation will be similarly successful, for there's a crucial difference between the two situations, and that's the salary cap. After years of struggling, the Nordiques assembled a boatload of top-tier talent (much as the Pens did). But when the Pens are ready to take the next step and compete for the Cup, they'll also start to find themselves hamstrung by the salary cap.

Unlike the Avalanche, who won two Stanley Cups and consistently spent big dollars to maintain a championship-caliber team, the Pens will be severely limited, Adding, indeed, even more instability to the mix.

And as a result, we'll likely see 29 teams salivating at the possibility of adding the likes of Malkin, Fleury, and Staal — and perhaps even Crosby — to their own roster. It's a scenario that not only bodes poorly for the Penguins, but for the NHL's future as well.