Friday, 28 December 2012 13:47

Written by Dave Molinari

Brooks Orpik and Craig Adams of the Penguins, who skated with teammate Deryk Engelland at Southpointe today, seemed surprised that the NHL submitted a new, comprehensive collective bargaining agreement proposal to the NHL Players' Association Thursday.

"At this point, I think you'd be an idiot to try to predict or expect anything," Orpik said.

And while some details have leaked out -- like how the league is willing to have contracts run a maximum of six years (up from five) and allow a 10 percent variance in salary from year to year (up from five percent) -- Orpik and Adams said they want to be briefed in an NHLPA conference call in mid-afternoon before evaluating the league's offer.

"It's tough to comment before you see the details," Orpik said.

Adams, however, didn't seem to be overwhelmed by the league's movement on contract lengths and salary variances, or by a proposal that each team be allowed one contract buyout that wouldn't count against its salary-cap ceiling.

"I wouldn't say 'significant,' said Adams, the Penguins' player representative. "I guess that would strike me as the smallest possible moves you could make in those departments.

"But they're moves in our direction, and that's not to be discounted or taken lightly."

Orpik took a similar stance, neither endorsing the league's offer until he is given an in-depth assessment of it.

"Anytime there's something new, it's worth looking at," he said. "Maybe it's just something to float out there just to say they did it. Who knows, until you see the guts of it?"