Closer to an NHL season

It looks "cautiously optimistic" on the other side of the Atlantic before the new season in the NHL. I think the NHLPA has caved in and allowed a salary cap, a victory for socialism over capitalism. I say let the free market decide how much to pay a hockey player, just like the free market decides how much to charge for season tickets. Do the owners ever implement a ticket price cap? Nope, they want it both ways; pay the least for product and get the most for sales of the product. They are merely hockey brokers and the NHLPA has no business allowing them to control payments to the players. But they wimped out and now it looks like there will be a season. From the NY Times;

"Now, the sides are reportedly discussing a minimum salary threshold and a salary cap that would start off below $42.5 million but that could go higher in proportion to any increase in leaguewide revenue. Another major issue under discussion is what happens to last season's player contracts, worth over $1 billion."

This agreement, if it goes through, will be good for Swedish hockey. While we will lose some of the best prospects, we will get back some veterans like Per-Johan Axelsson and Samuel Påhlson, both solid two-way players.

One is tempted to be excited over the prospect of keeping some players that helped us win the Eliteserien last year, but the loss of Henke is a serious blow. He is called the number one goalie prospect for the Rangers, who happen to be my favorite NHL team. Now if they could just get rid of Jagr . . .