The 2018-19 NHL season came to an end Wednesday when the St. Louis Blues recorded a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and skated away with the title.
Preparations for next season are now moving at full speed, and teams will take key steps beginning Friday night with the annual player draft.
This year's draft features a pair of brilliant players at the top in center Jack Hughes of the U.S. National Development Team and Finnish right wing Kaapo Kakko. Both are likely to be impact players right away and are set to be selected with the first two picks by the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, respectively.