The negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement are still in their nascent stages, so it's too early to panic about part or all of another season being lost. But any optimism for a quick resolution did take a hit last week when the owners unveiled their first proposal, which included a call for several inflammatory changes that sent shockwaves through the hockey world.
That was just the start of talk between the league and the NHL Players Association, not the end. The sides have plenty of complicated issues to hash out before wrapping up negotiations and returning to action on the ice without delays this fall.
To help sort through the many points of contention between the owners and players, we've taken a look at some of the biggest issues of the offseason talks.
Click here to see the Top 10 issues the NHL and players association are working through>>