from Michael Grange of Sportsnet,

Continuing talks suggest optimism, but the word Thursday night was trending in the other direction. Those involved in the talks describe them as slow and laboured.

Momentum? There is no real momentum.

More discouraging is that the new proposals put forward by the NHLPA earlier this week are more of the same, at least as far as the league is concerned.

Apparently the players are still seeking a fixed dollar amount for their share of hockey related revenue (HRR) for the first three years of a new CBA with the owners share increasing (from 43 per cent) based on the league keeping a greater share of future revenues.

A source with the NHLPA would say only that with normal growth -- the players have insisted on using a seven per cent growth rate for revenues in their projections; the owners project five per cent -- the NHL would get their 50-50 split in the third year of a new CBA.

There is no doubt this can be described as a concession by the players. The players were getting 57 per cent. Their first proposal averaged about 54.5 per cent of HRR and their next was about 53 per cent.

The problem is the owners want to get to a 50-50 split next year, which means shaving a minimum of about $250 million from the players' share right now.

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