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Winnik says labor pessimism is thanks to the owners

San Jose Sharks v St. Louis Blues - Game Two

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 14: Daniel Winnik #34 of the San Jose Sharks takes a shot on goal against the St. Louis Blues during Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scottrade Center on April 14, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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One of the players involved directly in labor talks is Ducks forward Daniel Winnik. He recently spoke on NiteCap with Josh Rimer on nextsportstar.com about how things are going and he and the other players are upbeat about getting a deal done without a lockout.

“I think there’s a lot more that happens behind closed doors that a lot of the players don’t see who aren’t involved in the negotiations,” Winnik said.

“From the guys that I’ve talked with, there isn’t any panic. Everyone’s unified. They understand it’s a process and there’s still a good amount of time here to get a deal done.”

While the players may be positive, fans aren’t nearly as pleased with how things are going and Winnik says he has an idea where the negativity comes from: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

“I think people understood our deal and seeing what we’re trying to do in order to grow the game and willing to work with the bigger markets to help the smaller teams out. The pessimism comes from Gary’s comments [Wednesday]. I think that’s where the discouragement of people might’ve come.”

You might argue the players’ are trying to keep things positive while the owners are dealing in negativity, but the only thing for sure right now is the players are winning the PR battle. That much won’t matter if the league locks out the players on September 15.