At the same time that his team's owner is fighting for a 5-year term limit on contracts, Simmonds get a very nice 6-year deal.

Ed Snider, owner of the Flyers, is one of Bettman's closest allies. He is largely responsible for the mega-deal that the NHL signed with NBC. He is the longest-serving member of the NHL Board of Governors.

This is the recent body of work by this owner when it comes to contracts:
Wayne Simmonds: 6 years
Chris Pronger: 7 years on a 35+ contract
Daniel Briere: 8 years
Ilya Bryzgalov: 9 years
Jeff Carter: 11 years
Mike Richards: 11 years

Yeah, lots of credibility on the part of the owners/NHL when it comes to their offer to the players.