Too quiet an off-season: everything could come to a head in the next month

The current National Hockey League off-season is aptly named, and perhaps even more so than in previous years.

For the past few weeks, if not months, the off-season has been really, really dead.

There’s hardly anything happening in the four corners of the NHL, apart from a few small signings here and there.

However, it’s not as if all teams have completed their rosters for next season or simply settled all their files – quite the contrary.

There are still a number of issues and objectives on the table for many general managers.

Indeed, several big names are still without a contract for next season, while other players who have been the subject of much ink due to the trade rumours surrounding them have still not been traded.

There haven’t even been any trades (involving anything other than picks) at the draft!

In short, there are still many unresolved issues ahead of the next NHL season, which in less than a month’s time will be taking its first steps, as several rookie camps get underway.

So, the more time passes, the more I get the impression that this far too quiet off-season could lead to everything coming to a head in the next month and weeks.

As Marc-Olivier Beaudoin explains, you’d expect more action between now and the opening of training camp.

After all, it’s impossible for the Detroit Red Wings, for example, to start their season without having signed Lucas Raymond and Mortiz Seider.

So, when it comes to players rumoured to be on the trade block and those not under contract, we’re likely to see a lot more action in the coming weeks.

Trevor Zegras, Patrik Laine, Rutger McGroarty, Yaroslav Askarov and many others have yet to change their address, and that could still happen.

On the signing front, it’s not just in Detroit that good players remain uncontracted.

Dawson Mercer, Seth Jarvis and Matty Beniers are among the players who remain restricted free agents.

And even when it comes to unrestricted free agents, I can’t imagine a world where Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman, Jakub Vrana, Tyson Barrie and John Klingberg, among others, don’t sign with some NHL team.

Or at worst, they’ll probably sign professional tryouts.

In short, there’s likely to be a lot of action soon due to the far too quiet off-season.

It’s also worth noting that we can expect some movement from the Montreal Canadiens as well.

It’s not a sure thing, but between now and the start of next season, Kent Hughes could very well make a big (or small) splash with all the space he has available under the cap, i.e. close to $15 million, by placing Carey Price on the LTIR.

The goal of improving the team’s forwards in order to see the Habs score more often has still not been achieved this off-season.

Whether it’s Patrik Laine or another player, Kent Hughes could still be looking for help.

Or, of course, the Habs GM could once again come to the aid of a team stuck under the salary cap and come out a winner, as he did with Sean Monahan.

Hughes has an array of picks and prospects, as well as too many defensemen for next season, so there’s no shortage of assets to complete any kind of transaction.

We’ll be watching closely.

Overtime

– There will likely be more expansion teams in the NHL.

– Too bad for Koné.

Derek Cornelius starts for the first time in Ligue 1 against Brest!(No Koné) #CANMNT https://t.co/GXCTja3li1

– KAN FC (@kanfootballclub) August 17, 2024

– A real machine!

By scoring his team’s 2nd goal against Ipswich, Salah took his total of goals in the opening games of a Premier League season to nine, more than any other player! pic.twitter.com/gUY8bCbyj7

– RDS (@RDSca) August 17, 2024

– Very strong.