from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,

How bad are things getting? Glenn Healy is the most sensible guy in the room.

On Wednesday's edition of Hockey Night in Canada Radio, Healy made the kind of suggestion that could crack the massive foundation between the NHL and NHLPA. The 14-year-goalie, who later worked for the union, floated the idea of the league creating some kind of annuity for the players out of any money lost from contracts already signed.

At the beginning of this now-insane process, the NHLPA's major issue was revenue sharing. Now, it's preserving previously awarded deals. The NHL's Prime Directive is to get the percentage split down to 50/50, which, on its surface, is completely incompatible with the players' goals.

If both sides are actually interested in negotiating, there needs to be some creative thinking.

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