There seems to be some confusion and consternation in the wake of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association jointly announcing that they’ve run out of time to salvage the 2020 World Cup of Hockey.



As I tweeted last week after the meeting in Vegas, I was dubious they were going to be able to salvage it.



The fact the NHL wouldn’t commit to a September 2020 World Cup without a guarantee from the NHLPA that they wouldn’t act on the CBA reopener for the same month was always going to be a tough sell.



But that shouldn’t be confused with the fact both sides remain positive about the overall talks they’ve had in both the bigger picture and the long-term discussion of the collective bargaining agreement.



Both sides plan to continue to talk and will set a long-term international calendar.



The real test of this newfound goodwill between the two sides is whether they can actually get something done CBA-wise before the end...