Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet.ca gives fans an introduction to the basics of this summer’s CBA negotiations:

Circumvention Protection:

One of the delicious ironies of CBA negotiations is that after owners and GMs are done binding together to battle the NHLPA, the managers then return to their separate burghs and set about finding ways to circumvent the rules they just fought to institute. The past seven seasons saw the proliferation of contacts with immense term built into them for the purpose of lowering the annual cap hit. For years it’s been suggested that, rather than simply refusing to hand out these deals, owners and GMs will try to mandate a limit on contract terms. Perhaps this becomes a situation where age is a factor — no player over 30 can sign a deal for more than five years, or something to that effect.

Read More: What You Need to Know About CBA Negotiations