from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,

The issue in the current imbroglio between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association isn’t whether or not the players are angry about the latest developments. They are. And looking at this situation from the outside, they have every right to be.

Look at this from the players’ perspective. After the pandemic hit in March, the players not only gave back one of their paychecks, they agreed to spend up to two months away from their families in a bubble without being paid for it. And they agreed to extend the collective bargaining agreement two more years, the first year coming with 20 percent escrow and a 10 percent salary deferral to help the owners with their cash flow problems.

And after signing what they thought was a binding contract, the NHL is coming back to them and looking for more. Originally, the players agreed to 20 percent escrow this season (and up to 18 percent next season) and a 10-percent salary deferral. That means a player who is owed a salary of $1 million this season, would actually be taking home only $720,000 before taxes. But now the league is reportedly looking in the first year to increase the escrow to 25 percent and the deferral to 20 percent, which would reduce that take-home salary to $600,000.

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