Every hockey offseason has two big events: the NHL Entry Draft in late June, about a week after the last possible date of the Stanley Cup Final, and the free agent frenzy that fills the first few days of July. Woven in between those two dates are a lot of trades, more trade rumours and a lot of player signings.
This year, the month is October, but the timing is about the same on the front end. The back end of the offseason is where it all fades to the grey of unknown. We all remember well the significance of December 1 — that’s the RFA signing deadline — but this year, that’s the first suggested date of a new season.