from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Well, sorry to throw cold water on any faintly glowing embers of optimism but there is no sign this round of talks is going to be any less lame than what’s happened so far in the month-long lockout.

First, the parties are strolling into the union offices at 11 a.m., not exactly the time of day that would indicate urgent business is at hand. Second, there are no talks formally scheduled beyond today. Finally, while the parties will discuss the major economic issues that separate them – the players’ desire for more revenue sharing and the owners’ desire to slash the players’ salaries – all they’re going to talk about, according to Daly, are “ideas for moving the process forward on the main issues.”

It’s all about the process, don’t you know.

The best both sides can do right now is suggest the other make an offer.

In the meantime, the NHL embarrassed itself when Deadspin found out the league dropped a wad of cash on notorious Republican spin doctor Frank Luntz. He convened a focus group in Washington, D.C., to explore ways to blame the lockout on the union and the whole thing blew up in the NHL’s face on social media.

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