from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Once teams are allowed on-ice again, I hope everyone investigates the possibility of televising practices live. People would watch. I don’t know if it would be technologically possible to mic up coaches and players, but this is the time to innovate and entertain.

- The players badly want a return to the Winter Olympics (and so do I), but if the schedule is this weird and intense — does a February 2022 break make any sense? Does the IOC still indicate a willingness to cover costs?

- The NHL and NHLPA have done a good job of keeping the CBA out of the public eye. No one is going to escape this pandemic financially unscathed. However, if the two sides are able to come out of this with a long-term agreement that eases concerns about how everyone can recover, will everyone grudgingly accept the hurdles? Players recognize the possibility of 35 per cent escrow next year, barring something that spreads it out over time. If you’re told coming back for four months this summer might only drop it to, say … 25, that’s tough.

- This is going to be an incredibly popular sentence, but what if the key to resuscitating NHL business is allowing the revenue powerhouses to flex their financial muscle? A growing number of executives say owners are against compliance buyouts, because they don’t want extra costs. If the cap stays at $81.5 million for the next two or three years, there’s going to be a squeeze. (It’s also going to be an enormous advantage for Seattle.)

more on the last topic plus other Thoughts...