Originally Posted by ledsam

If there is a deal hammered out before June when the draft is supposed to be held, then the new CBA will decide what to do with all the prospects born in '87 (including Crosby).

If a deal can't be done before June, then it gets a little messy. The current CBA states that a draft must be held every year in June (pdf link), so who gets the rights to Crosby come July? Sidney will want to become an unrestricted free agent, but the NHL would want the next CBA to determine his fate. Possibly another legal battle on the NHL's hands ...