The current negotiations between owners and players could go a lot of different directions. I'd be surprised if we saw a strike. The effect this should have on the 2006 season is that players will be unwilling to sign long term contracts and teams will be unwilling to pay huge dollar amounts for short term deals. It could get ugly, but I think both the owners and players realize it is in their best interests to avoid a strike. They both need to maintain the status quo to keep their respective status.