NHL lockout - curse or blessing for British ice hockey?

The NHL lockout is a disaster for North American hockey. The NHL is the worlds top league, no matter what the KHL thinks about it, and quite frankly, a season without it does the world of hockey more harm than good. The top players are forced into Europe, which is great for European hockey, but sadly it's not the same high level as the NHL. A few players might come to the Elite League in the UK though. But is it a blessing for the EIHL to have such talent grace its ranks, or could it do more harm than good for the British game? It requires a bit of thinking this one...