Now official, pending a review of the MOU II, consider this all official information:

As per the Insiders, doing that thing they do where they take turns telling you the tidbits on the CBA deal about to be revealed, we have some dates for the coming season.

Credit goes to Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Frank Seravalli, with some cameos by Bob McKenzie and a bit from Elliotte Friedman yesterday.

  • Opt-out deadline: December 24 for non-playoff teams, December 27 for everyone else
  • Regular season start: January 13
  • RFA signing deadline (the usual December 1 one): February 11
  • Players on one-year deals may sign extensions: March 12
  • Regular season end: May 8
  • Trade deadline: April 12
  • Playoffs over by July 15 at the latest
  • Protected lists due for the expansion draft on July 17
  • Expansion draft: July 21
  • Entry Draft: July 23-24
  • Free agency begins: July 28/

Some implications of all of that:

This should make the rate at which cap space accumulates close to the normal one.

Always listen to the experts on this one:

It seems almost inevitable that some amendments to the transfer agreements would be needed, but if this stands, the number of players it would affect is very small.

Now, considering this is the weekend before Christmas, and none of us want to be talking about key dates, have this antique recipe for the fun kind of dates:

Date Squares

Mix:

  • 1 34 c. Flour
  • 12 t. Salt
  • 1 t. Baking Powder
  • 12 t. Baking Soda/

Stir in:

  • 2 12 c. Rolled Oats
  • 34 c. Brown Sugar/

Cut in:

1 c. Butter

Cook together:

  • 1 12 lb Dates (pitted)
  • 1 12 c. Boiling Water
  • 13 c. Sugar/

When thickened add:

1 t. Vanilla Extract

Cover half a greased baking pan with the oatmeal mixture and press it down. Spread with cooled dated mixture, and then cover with remaining oatmeal mixture. Use a pan large enough to make the whole thing approximately 3/4” thick.

Bake in a 350° F oven for 45 - 60 min until browned lightly. (Look, this recipe is from 1965, and no one’s oven worked all that great then. You’ll just have to wing it.)

And that’s your key dates. Pick whichever type you’re interested in and have a good weekend. There’s likely to be some news this afternoon on the Board of Governors and GMs having votes/calls.