from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

With optimism rising that a deal to save the NHL season could be within reach, a player on the NHLPA bargaining committee told the Star the sides were still quite far apart.

The player, who requested anonymity, said the league still hasn’t put anything on paper regarding what appears to be the make-or-break issue: that owners pay players their salaries in full.

“If the league wants to take responsibility (for player contracts) in this ‘make whole’ thing then we have something to talk about,” the player told the Star.

“We’ll see. We’ve see a lot of b.s. in this process so far. If the owners do take responsibility, then there’s movement. But the way this thing has gone so far, we (the players) wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t.

“Right now there’s nothing on paper. Hopefully (Tuesday) we see something on paper and we go from there.”

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added 9:57am,

from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

If the NHL comes to the table today representing its plan to assume some portion of the “make-whole” on players’ existing contracts as a concession rather than an obligation, then the owners’ lockout is doomed to continue and as likely as not to doom the 2012-13 season in its entirety.

The spirit in which the league’s ambiguous plan regarding this essential element of any agreement is presented will be almost as important as the relevant arithmetic.

Paying full value on a contract is a responsibility, not a quid-pro-quo item to be used to hold the players and the season hostage.

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