from Travis Yost of TSN,

On Sept. 1, the National Hockey League can choose to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). If the league passes on the opportunity, the players have their shot at exercising the right to opt out on Sept. 19....

This round of negotiations will likely address a number of new issues. The most prominent will concern signing bonuses. Signing bonuses were introduced as a carrot of sorts to players, but front offices and players have quickly realized their utility.

Players love signing bonuses for a variety of reasons – they make contracts much more difficult to buy out, they tend to be paid out in lump sums on given calendar dates over the course of the year, are required to be paid out in the event the league shuts its doors (unlike straight salary), and have more favourable tax implications.

As players search for more signing-bonus money, more of a divide cuts through the big-market (cash-rich) and small-market (cash-poor) teams. It’s a real issue, and one we will surely hear about as negotiations ramp up.

The signing bonus issue has been talked about in the public domain for quite some time now, but there has been far less discussion about how long-term injured reserve (LTIR) has also had a circumventing effect on the league’s intentions with the CBA.

The point of the LTIR clause (Article 50.10-50.10) was to offer relief in the event a player on a club became unfit to play for at least 24 calendar days and 10 NHL regular season games. The spirit of the clause is to offer teams a degree of temporary relief when an unexpected injury occurs.

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