It seems the phrase "dog days" is being used more by NHL insiders than "I'm being told that..." It's a key piece of evidence to support that notion that, yes, the dog days of summer are indeed upon us. As the calendar flipped to July, hockey fans braced for a flurry of trades that would shift the league's landscape.
It seemed like there was a new Erik Karlsson development every day. Max Pacioretty was as good as gone from Montreal. The news that Artemi Panarin wasn't interested in re-signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets seemed to indicate that the organization was going to be forced to trade him.