Patrick Roy: Cap is Needed

The all-time winningest goaltender and hated rival of the Red Wings recently spoke to the Le Journal de Montreal about the lockout and recent negotiations:

"The owners had every reason to turn down the players' offer. The Players' Association's proposal's only goal was to win popular favour. The ten teams with the weakest revenues must not forget about the salary cap. Adoption of a cap means survival for the teams in trouble...I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think there'll be hockey this season. The negotiations will be very hard and will lead to a war of attrition."

For a former NHLPA member and marquee goaltender who once commanded top salary, it is somewhat surprising to hear Roy erring on the side of the league, or, at the very least, showing an understanding for their situation. The NHL's recent counter-offer boasted that "91.8% of players will have 24% or less reduction in compensation," compared to the NHLPA's 24% roll back across the board. This reflects the NHL's intention of heavily cutting the salaries of the top 8.2% of players (by up to 35%), a range Roy's name once was found in (peak salary of $8.5 million in 2002-2003).