The NHL and Players’ Association seem to be figuring out a new collective bargaining agreement long before a lockout is even in question. 

Strong relations between team owners and the NHLPA has led to reports by Daily Faceoff and The Athletic Thursday that the two sides agreed on key elements of a potential four-year CBA extension. Nothing's official, but both sides reportedly hope to announce the extension before Friday's NHL draft.

These changes could significantly affect the way the league operates in the years to come. Let’s break down some of the most intriguing elements.

1. 84-Game regular season, shortened pre-season

This is a welcome change. For years, we’ve argued that extended pre-seasons are a waste of time with a notable possibility for player injuries. 

Extending the regular season by two games allows for four games against each team in the division – two at home, and two on the road – as well as three games against each team in the other division in the same conference and a home-and-away series against each team in the other conference. 

But cutting down on useless pre-season games is the key here. Players are in playing condition all season long, and adding two additional regular-season games will mean more meaningful hockey. Those extra exhibitions aren’t needed to determine roster spots, either.

2. Maximum seven-year contracts for players re-signing with their current clubs and maximum six years for players on the open market

This reduction in contract term is essentially the league protecting GMs from themselves. 

It also could lead to fewer buyouts, as teams often wind up pulling the chute on players at the end of their contracts. This will also lead to players theoretically hitting the open market more times in their career, which will make free agency more interesting from year to year. 

In any case, the change in contract term will add a different wrinkle to negotiations. A team can’t just offer an eight-year deal to their player in order for them to take a lower cap hit. Six and seven years are still a long time, but it could mean a bit less stability for players.

3. Playoff salary cap mechanism to close the LTIR loophole, and no deferred salary contracts 

A regular criticism of the current salary cap is that teams can use the long-term injured reserve to stockpile players during the regular season, then play everyone in the playoffs once the injured players recover.

That will end, as teams will likely have to assemble a post-season lineup that falls within agreed-upon salary cap limits.

It’s an end to a cheat code of sorts, and so is the end of deferred salary in contracts that lowered the cap hit by giving some salary after the term ends. 

At the end of the day, teams and agents will have less wiggle room to try to work around CBA language. And in the playoffs, teams with mainly healthy rosters during the regular season won’t have to face squads that loaded up on talent because one of their most expensive players was hurt for a month or longer.

4. No mandatory dress code for players arriving and leaving games

This change may draw the ire of fans who believe players should be dressing in business suits at all times. (For all we know, most players will still show up in suits anyway.) But the reality is that players are like the rest of us – they want some degree of comfort in their day-to-day travels to and from the rink. 

This also opens the door to players making interesting fashion choices, and players like Toronto Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews and Montreal Canadiens right winger Patrik Laine looking dapper in their way.

5. Hockey-related revenue split between players and team owners remains 50/50

Of course, this is a primary concern for the players and owners alike. It’s reassuring to players that the league isn’t trying to encroach on its 50/50 split, and that’s the main reason we’re getting a new CBA extension done well before the current one ends. Hockey fans should be relieved that a labor war isn’t happening and that the transition from one labor deal to a new one is taking place so smoothly.

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