Now begins the long wait for real games to start again. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins successfully defended their Stanley Cup by taking a Game 6 victory over the Predators on Sunday night. But the NHL hardly has gone into sleep mode just yet, with a very busy couple weeks coming up that will significantly alter the landscape of the league — especially for the three New York-area teams.
Let’s take a look at the seven biggest storylines going into the offseason:
The expansion draft
The Vegas Golden Knights are readying for their inaugural season starting in September, and general manager George McPhee still has to build a roster from the ground up. The expansion draft is June 21, when the Golden Knights will take one player off each team. Under certain stipulations, teams have to contemplate whom to protect and whom to expose, and that all goes on while McPhee wheels and deals behind the scenes. He is listening to offers where he would receive assets (mostly draft picks) in return for not drafting certain exposed players. He also could plan to draft certain players for the direct purpose of flipping them to another team for a predetermined return. It’s a lot of moving pieces, and every one of the 30 other teams will be affected.
The amateur draft
The Devils hold the No. 1 overall pick for the draft, which starts Friday, June 23, in Chicago. In a draft class that is said to be deep but not top-heavy, general manager Ray Shero might look to move back to add more NHL-ready pieces after five straight season out of the playoffs.
Stagnant salary cap
Because the league has failed to increase revenue in any significant way, it seems like the salary-cap ceiling will remain around $73 million for next season. That leaves a lot of clubs — notably the big-market Blackhawks and Kings — in difficult spots. They could be forced to move big-name players before the expansion draft, at the regular draft, or into the free-agent signing period that starts July 1.
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Ovechkin drama
After watching Crosby win his third title, it easy to imagine Alex Ovechkin being more upset than ever about never having been out of the second round. Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said he isn’t trying to trade Ovechkin, but all options have to be on the table for a Capitals team that was by far the best on paper while winning the Presidents’ Cup this season and still came up way short.
Tavares teetering
The Islanders’ future is very much in question. With regards to where they will be play their home games — their home at Barclays Center is tenuous — and more so, with regards to their efforts to keep captain John Tavares, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season. General manager Garth Snow can sign Tavares to a new deal starting July 1, but if the two sides are far apart, it could create a divide that undercuts the entire franchise and causes Snow to trade Tavares before they lose him for nothing.
Hank aging
The Rangers have retool again this summer, after one more year of Henrik Lundqvist’s prime that went by without a Stanley Cup. The talk of windows closing has seemed superfluous in years past, but the 35-year-old Lundqvist will be increasingly monitored for signs of possibly slowing down for as long as he plays. That puts pressure on GM Jeff Gorton to improve his roster with the focus of winning now.
Penguins three-peat
Sidney Crosby & Co. became the first repeat champions since the 1998 Red Wings, and did so without top defenseman Kris Letang for the whole postseason tournament and without starting goalie Matt Murray for the first two rounds. Captain Crosby collected his third Cup, and continued to cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats with a second straight Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. With a couple of really good young players around the core, the first three-peat since the Islanders dynasty of the 1980s is certainly possible.