Not so much.
Welcome to Thursday, folks!
The end of another week is in sight as we near the midway point of July.
“Mid-July” means the hockey doldrums, so I don’t have much for you at this point — we’ll likely continue with the Monday-Wednesday-Friday Morning Skates for a while, though today’s a special Thursday-to-Friday edition because I got sidetracked yesterday.
We’ll start player ratings again soon as well, using a similar process to the last couple of years where our staff and you, the fine readers, will vote on each player.
While the super-polarizing players who caused massive disagreements in the past are no longer here, I’m sure we’ll have to agree to disagree on a few players.
Around the NHL world, the big news from this week is that CapFriendly is no more.
The site, an invaluable resource for fans, hockey writers, and (allegedly) some NHL front office folks, was purchased by the Washington Capitals earlier this summer and shut down this week.
Invariably, a new site will look to fill the void, similar to when CapGeek, General Fanager, and others disappeared.
Still, as many have noted, this is another clear instance of the NHL shooting itself in the foot, taking a great resource away from the people who consume and report on the game.
I can’t see how having that data available is detrimental to the league, but what do I know?
(As an aside, if you have good recommendations for a current CapFriendly replacement, please share them in the comments.)
One thing the NHL did get right this week was a new partnership with New Era, which is good news for anyone who enjoys their fitted hats (or other styles).
Other than that, we keep plugging along.
We wait for Jeremy Swayman news, then there are some trade rumors floating around the league (Kaapo Kakko, Patrik Laine, etc.) and some arbitration hearings on the way.
What else is on tap for today?