No time for a Stanley Cup hangover as the NHL offseason is already here
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, left, presents Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) with the NHL hockey Stanley Cup after winning the Final against the Edmonton Oilers in Sunrise, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Nathan Denette]
The NHL playoffs running until late June and reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final means there is no chance for a breather before the offseason. In fact, it has already begun. Colorado re-signed forward Casey Mittelstadt for three more years and Winnipeg extended defenseman Dylan DeMelo less than 12 hours into the Florida Panthers’ reign as Cup champions. Boston and Ottawa even made a major goalie trade hours before the puck dropped on the final game of 2023-24 season. A flurry of activity is expected in the coming days with the draft Friday and Saturday and the start of free agency less than a week away.
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