Fred wrote:I think you're reading more into it.
I don't know what that means. If by "reading more into it" you mean "accurately noting the terms being debated by the NHL and the PA at this point," then yes I am.
Individuallythe players work out their own deal and sign on the dotted line.
Yes.
Collectively they want a bigger piece of the pie, but I can't see Weber as an example actually benefitting further than his own contract has brought to him. It'll be no more than the cherry on the pie
Collectively they want a bigger piece of the pie than the NHL is willing to agree to at this point, but really what we're talking about is that the players are willing to give some of the pie back to the owners and the owners want more than the players are willing to give.
Nobody on the players side is saying "I want more money than I am entitled to as per the terms of my contract," they are saying "I want the money that I [legitimately or not] believed I was entitled to when I signed my contract." Whether they had any reason to believe that or not given they've been paying into escrow their whole careers is certainly up for debate, but what's not up for debate is that this CBA negotiation has been largely about how much the players are willing to give back, not about whether to give back at all, nevermind whether (as you seem to be implying) they should be asking for even more.