While the NHL Slumbers, the Real Story is Just Waking Up

The summer doldrums have the league in a sleepy haze, but there's plenty of intrigue brewing beneath the surface. The offseason is when the real work happens - the trades being discussed, the contracts being negotiated, the rosters being quietly reshaped. While casual fans are checking out until October, the insiders know this is when championships are actually built. The NHL may be asleep, but the people running it are wide awake and plotting.