We've known since the end of the season (and even prior to that) that the Jackets needed to add another scorer up front, to add to Marian Gaborik and the bevy of secondary scorers.

Over the past week, we've heard that the Jackets hosted Nathan Horton, showing him the rink and the city, selling the benefits of becoming a Blue Jacket. It would seem that the Jackets did a great job in this regard, as Horton has signed a seven-year deal with the Jackets, with a cap hit of $5.3 million per season. The contract is very front loaded:

Nathan Horton's deal with CBJ is 7 years, $37.1 ($5.3 AAV) but he gets $30M in first 5 years.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 5, 2013

Not since Rick Nash left for New York have the Jackets possessed a power forward with a nose for the net. Horton fits that bill, and if he can stay healthy this is a huge addition for Columbus.

Due to an injury sustained in a fight, Horton's looking at shoulder surgery, meaning it will be well into the fall before he's ready. Consider it an early Christmas present when he's ready to go.

Horton was one of, if not the biggest name forward available. The fact that a player like him chooses to sign with the Jackets, not to mention Gaborik waiving his no-trade clause to do just the same, is a sign of the Jackets earning more credibility throughout the league.

We'll follow up with more as it develops.

With their second signing of the afternoon, the New York Rangers have officially signed Aaron Johnson to a one-year, $600,000 contract. This was nothing more than a depth signing, as the Rangers are slowly rounding out their roster heading into next season. The Rangers started to address their defensive depth earlier last week as they traded for both Justin Falk and Danny Syvret.

Johnston last saw time with the Boston Bruins during last sesason and previously, with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2011-2012 season. With the Blue Jackets he appeared in 56 games while totaling 3 goals, and 13 assists during that time. He also played in ten games with the Stanley Cup Finalist Bruins where he wasn't able tor register a single point.

It's also worth pointing out that Johnson is apparently a very good friend of Rick Nash, as they spent time together in Columbus. Man, the Rangers sure like those ex-Columbus Blue Jackets, don't they?

Thoughts?

I tried to write the recap in the same order that we learned of the signings and trades from Twitter and television today. Read on for my move-by-move recap of the day:

• Worst moves: New Jersey - Ryane Clowe, Toronto - All, Nashville - Eric Nystrom, Calgary - All, Chicago - Nikolai Khabibulin, Phoenix - Mike Ribeiro, Columbus - Nathan Horton, Monreal - George Parros, New York Islanders - Evgeni Nabokov
  
• Best moves: New Jersey - Michael Ryder, New York Rangers - All, New York Islanders - Pierre Marc Bouchard & Travis Hamonic, Philadelphia - Ray Emery, Edmonton - Jason LaBarbera, Detroit - Daniel Alfredsson, Carolina - Anton Khudobin
  

Nashville Predators News

Trotz wants opponents to pay metaphorical ‘entertainment tax’ - Nashville Predators Examiner
Naturally the Preds were pleased with yesterday's turn of events. I'm still banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why they're paying Eric Nystrom $2.5 million for four years, though.

Then again, maybe it was due to Nystrom's prowess on social media. Here's a Vine video he posted to Twitter yesterday (click the icon in the upper left for the audio):

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Jarome Iginla to the Boston Bruins - for real this time - Stanley Cup of Chowder
This is just too rich. But for real if I wake up tomorrow and the Iginla thing didn't happen...

Report: Tyler Seguin Guarded During Playoffs To Prevent His Partying-Deadspin
The Boston Bruins finally pulled the trigger on trading Tyler Seguin on Thursday, shipping him out—along with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button—to the Dallas Stars for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and Joe Morrow.

Canucks sign right-handed defenceman named Weber; unfortunately, it’s Yannick - Pass It To Bulis
Too bad, so sad, Vancouver.

2013 NHL Free Agency: Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Nathan Horton to 7 Year Deal - The Cannon
I wonder how many other teams were willing to go 7 years on a guy with this kind of injury history. Still, a nice pickup for the Blue Jackets.

Phoenix Coyotes sign Mike Ribeiro - Five For Howling
They're hoping that Ribeiro's history playing under Dave Tippet in Dallas will pay off in the desert.

Wild trades Devin Setoguchi, signs Matt Cooke | StarTribune.com
As if you needed another reason to boo when Minny comes to town...

Senators acquire forward Bobby Ryan from Ducks - Silver Seven
Yes, they lost Daniel Alfredsson to Detroit (home for aging Swedes), but GM Bryan Murray scored a major coup by trading for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan.

Leafs Sign Clarkson - Pension Plan Puppets
Toronto landed Dave Clarkson... for seven years.

New Jersey Devils Spend Big for Sign Ryane Clowe: 5 Yrs., $24.25 Million - In Lou We Trust
The Devils landed a power forward coming off a cold-shooting season... will he rebound?

Hotdog-Eating Champ Joey Chestnut: 'My Body Is Just Pretty Much at Its Limit' - The Hollywood Reporter
The competitive eater -- who devoured a record 69 hotdogs in 10 minutes -- tells THR about his recovery after the July 4 event.

Were Any Long-Term NHL Contracts a Good Idea? - Grantland

Thanks to Roberto Luongo, Vincent Lecavalier, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Rick DiPietro, the past week of NHL transactions will probably be remembered as the end of an era.

Gillis on Luongo: ‘Either play or don’t play’ | ProHockeyTalk

And if he doesn't?

Anaheim : Saku Koivu - C, Jakob Silfverberg - RW, Stefan Noesen - RW, Sens' first rounder in 2011

• Losing Ryan is brutal, and if they don't get Selanne to come back, this will be a difficult summer for fans. Murray did okay with what he had - Silfverberg has a scorer's touch and should score 20 goals this season. The Ducks are trying to ditch Jonas Hiller to help fill in, but with Ryan Miller out there as well, the return is going to be small.
  

Boston : Jarome Iginla - RW

• Iginla is a short-term replacement for Horton, and doesn't appreciably alter their roster for his salary. The Bruins need defense, just like everyone else.
  

Calgary : Karri Ramo - G , Kris Russell - D

• The Flames are lucky the Leafs decided yesterday was a crazy day, because this is a joke. Jay Feaster pays a below-average goaltender $2.9 million and traded for a defensemen he could have had for free last week via waivers.
  

Carolina : Anton Khudobin - G , Mike Komisarek - D

• Carolina's moves were tied up in Jordan Staal and Alex Semin's new contracts, but I can't help but mention how the Hurricanes spent just $1.5 million to sign a backup goaltender and a 7th defenseman. Jim Rutherford has some cap room left, and could still trade Tuomo Ruutu, but sticking to small moves to strengthen the bottom of the roster is a luxury he can afford this off-season.

Chicago : Nikolai Khabibulin - G , Michal Handzus - F , Michal Rozsival - D

• The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, so they should get a pass for a short while, but the Khabibulin contract is awful, and Stan Bowman is betting on a pair of ancient legs with Handzus.
  

Colorado : David Van Der Gulik - , Andre Benoit - D

• I really like the Benoit signing. It's nothing major, but given the budget and how little defense the Avalanche had last season, it was a smart move. It seems like Joe Sakic will move Paul Stastny eventually and he still needs defense.
  

Columbus : Nathan Horton - F

• Every time I look at the Blue Jackets roster, I think "how are they ever going to get rid of that Wisniewski deal?" Now I have something new to look at. If Nathan Horton stays healthy for the next seven years, this is a marvelous signing. If Nathan Horton had a chance at staying healthy for the next seven years, he would have signed a contract elsewhere.
  

Dallas : Dan Ellis - G

• Dallas went crazy on the eve of the draft, landing Tyler Seguin and Shawn Horcoff for very little and now Jim Nill has to find some defense. He especially needs a right-hander who can defend odd-man rushes. If he doesn't find one, he turns the Stars' hopes over to a bunch of 20-year olds to save his defense. Tom Gilbert fits this roster perfectly.
  

Detroit : Stephen Weiss - C , Daniel Alfredsson - F

• Detroit never dies. The NHL gifts the Red Wings a move to the the junior loop, and Ken Holland lands two of the top forwards available yesterday. The top 9 in Detroit looks like it's in great hands, but the defense looks shaky and Holland forgot to buy out Samuelsson and Bertuzzi to clear the cap space to stabilize the team.
  

Edmonton : Ryan Hamilton - LW , Andrew Ference - D , Boyd Gordon - F , Jason Labarbera - G , Jesse Joensuu - F

• The Oilers filled desperate needs in goal and and centre and missed on Andrew Ference. Craig MacTavish now needs one of Anton Belov or Andrew Ference to play top 4 minutes. Edmonton still needs another centre and could use a strong bottom-end forward a la Daniel Winnik.
  

Florida : Shawn Matthias - F , Mike Mottau - D , Joey Crabb - F

• The Panthers' roster is bizarre. Dale Tallon is relying on scads of teenagers and barely 20-somethings to drive play in Sunrise, but it's a tall order, even for Jonathan Huberdeau and Alexander Barkov.
  

Los Angeles : Jeff Schultz - D, Keaton Ellerby - D

• They lost Scuderi, and signed Schultz. It's a downgrade, but the Kings don't have a ton of cap space and Dean Lombardi has to sign his RFAs.
  

Minnesota : Matt Cooke - LW , Jared Spurgeon - D

• Devin Setoguchi is better than Matt Cooke, and the Wild overpaid Matt Cooke. Chuck Fletcher is stuck in cap hell, his own creation, and his second move to get out of it was yet another failure.
  

Montreal : George Parros - F

• Marc Bergevin has been excellent in his time with the Canadiens, but this is awful. It's bad enough that other teams sign goons to multi-year deals, but to trade assets for one? Terrible.
  

Nashville : Matt Hendricks - LW , Matt Cullen - C , Eric Nystrom - LW , Viktor Stalberg - F

• The four-year deals for Hendricks and Nystrom are bad. But then David Poile turns around and signs strong deals for Stalberg and Cullen. The Preds are already jam-packed with bottom end talent up front, the four year deals are inexplicable.
  

New Jersey : Rostislav Olesz - C , Michael Ryder - RW , Ryane Clowe - F

• I have Ryder down as one of the best deals of the day and Clowe as one of the worst. Olesz gives the Devils a chance at a reclamation project, but what was Lou Lamoriello thinking with the Clowe contract?
  

NY East: Evgeni Nabokov - G , Peter Regin - F , Pierre-Marc Bouchard - F , Travis Hamonic - D

• Garth Snow had a brilliant day, except for that Nabokov contract. The writers here have admired snow for awhile now and the rebound bet on Regin shows why. But the Hamonic deal is one that the Islanders should trumpet far and wide. Snow is already getting value out of that deal. Snow's achilles' heel is goaltender and the Nabokov contract exposes that, again. But the Islanders have cap space, so if Snow can land another solid goaltender, the move is excusable.
  

New York : Aaron Johnson - D , Benoit Pouliot - LW , Dominic Moore - F

• This is not the Glen Sather we've all come to know and love. The Rangers are normally "in on" every player, wildly throwing money around and embarrassing their smart fans. Maybe all of the RFA contracts are hanging over his head, but Sather grabbed depth left and right and strengthened his lineup with actual NHL players for peanuts.
  

Ottawa : Clarke MacArthur - F , Bobby Ryan - F

• Outstanding day for Bryan Murray. After Daniel Alfredsson told him ownership was too cheap to win, Murray salvaged the day with one of the best signings of the day in MacArthur. Then he traded Silvferberg and non-roster things for Ryan, who should go nuts on a line with Jason Spezza.
  

Philadelphia : Ray Emery - G , Yann Danis - G

• Paul Holmgren's sane side showed up yesterday and he signed one of the best contracts of the day with Emery and plugged the AHL goaltending (and NHL third string) hold with Yann Danis. Holmgren may have saved the Flyers with Emery.
  

Phoenix : Lauri Korpikoski - F , Kyle Chipchura - F, Thomas Greiss - G , Mike Ribeiro - F , Michael Stone - D

• The Coyotes are throwing money around like they aren't losing money for the BoG and City of Glendale. The Greiss deal is excellent, and Don Maloney kept Korpikoski and Chipchura which keeps the bottom of the roster in competent hands, but blowing so much money on a fading Ribeiro hamstrings the owner of the team in Seattle.
  

Pittsburgh : Craig Adams - C , Rob Scuderi - D

• Ray Shero brings an older and run-down Rob Scuderi back, though he may have more luck in the little sister conference, but Orpik and Scuderi are redundant. Neither are capable of playing tough comp, neither move the puck on their own and both are too expensive for the bottom pairing. I wouldn't be surprised to see Orpik move in the next week and give the Penguins some room to add a more versatile defender.
  

San Jose : Tyler Kennedy - F , Scott Hannan - D

• Martin Havlat's pelvic floor killed Doug Wilson's off-season. The Sharks have no cap room and Havlat was a perfect buyout candidate. Still, if Hannan is around to play on the bottom pairing, and Kennedy improves the bottom six, the Sharks will be okay.
  

St. Louis : Maxim Lapierre - C , Alexandre Bolduc - C , Mark Mancari - RW , Keith Aucoin - F

• St. Louis still has Chris Stewart and Alex Pietrangelo to sign, so free agency was nothing more than nibbling at the edges until Pietrangelo's huge deal is done. They did manage to sign noted idiot Max Lapierre, so they have that going for them. The Oilers are slobbering for forward size and St. Louis doesn't really need Chris Stewart, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Hemsky + 1st for Stewart.
  

Tampa Bay : Valtteri Filppula - LW

• Tampa is now running low on cap space and could use a couple of players to strengthen the bottom of the roster. So naturally, signing Filppula makes sense? Filppula depends on his linemates, so he should hope Stamkos likes him. Steve Yzerman needs to make a trade to give the Lightning some room to breathe and Ryan Malone sticks out like a sore thumb as a trade candidate, especially given the Oilers' drooling mouths. Malone and a pick for Magnus Paajarvi?
  

Toronto : T.J. Brennan - D , Jonathan Bernier - G , Tyler Bozak - F , David Clarkson - F

• Honestly, Toronto's day looks like an HF Boards reader got into some cocaine and was granted control of the Leafs' personnel department. Dave Nonis made a complete mess of a team that did have a couple of nice building blocks. And the Leafs don't have any defense. Aaron Ekblad will make a great Leaf at age 18.
  

Vancouver : Yannick Weber - D , Brad Richardson - RW

• Mike Gillis has no cap space to work with considering his needs, but upgraded from Lapierre to Richardson and added a 7th defender in Yannick Weber. The Canucks need another defender, two legit forwards, David Booth to come back and the Sedins to duplicate one of their best seasons ever. No worries.
  

Winnipeg : Devin Setoguchi - F

• Winnipeg has cap space and could be in a position to make more of these types of deals. Kevin Chevladayoff just has to sit tight and wait for his colleagues to cringe, then swoop in and grab the players the Jets need to be competitive.
  

Did well for themselves: Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers,

One more move needed: Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins,

Not much to judge: Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets

Jekyll & Hyde: Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils,

Tough day: Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning

Clown Shoes: Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Nashville Predators have inked four former collegians this weekend. General Manager Dave Poile, a Northeastern alum, added Vermont alum Viktor Stalberg, St. Cloud alums Matt Cullen and Matt Hendricks and Michigan alum Eric Nystrom. Stalberg, a leftwing who was part of the Stanley Cup champion winning Chicago Blackhawks signed for $12M over four years. The Predators also inked former UMass-Lowell goaltender Carter Hutton to a two-way deal.

Former Michigan defenseman Mike Komisarek has signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. The former Toronto Maple Leafs blue liner reportedly signed a one-year contract worth $700,000.

Former Wisconsin rightwing Jack Skille has signed a one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, leaving the Florida Panthers behind.

The Dallas Stars have inked former Carolina Hurricanes and Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Dan Ellis to a two-year contract worth $1.8M.

Former Miami Redhawks leftwing Ryan Jones has re-signed with the Edmonto Oilers.

Minnesota Golden Gophers alum Keith Ballard signed with the Minnesota Wild after being bought out by the Vancouver Canucks. The defenseman will reportedly make $3M over two years.

Princeton alum and NHL tough guy George Parros was signed by the Montreal Canadiens. The former Tigers rightwing was signed by Montreal after having played for the Florida Panthers this season. He won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim earlier in his career.

Former Harvard center Dominic Moore has moved from the San Jose Sharks to the New York Rangers.

The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed former Michigan State rightwing Adam Hall to a one-year contract worth $600,000.

Former NCAA Champion Rob Scuderi has left the Los Angeles Kings to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The former BC Eagles defender signed a four-year contract worth $13.5M.

The Penguins also re-signed former Harvard rightwing Craig Adams to a two-year contract worth $1.4M.

Former Norwich University star Keith Aucoin left the New York Islanders to sign with the St. Louis Blues.

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed former Denver Pioneers center Tyler Bozak to a five-year contract worth $21M. The deal is by far the most lucrative signed by an NCAA alum this offseason.

Former Northern Michigan center Mike Santorelli is going back home. The Vancouver, BC native signed with the hometown Canucks after playing with the Winnipeg Jets this past season.

Speaking of the Jets, Winnipeg signed former Michigan Wolverines goaltender Al Montoya to a one-year contract worth $601,000.

The Boston Bruins signed a couple of college hockey alums who split time this past season between the Phoenix Coyotes and their AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine. Former Dartmouth rightwing Nick Johnson and former Alaska-Fairbanks goaltender Chad Johnson both went from the Coyotes organization to the Bruins.

NHL veteran and former Hobey Baker Award winner Mike Mottau has signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers. The Boston College grad spent time between the San Antonio Rampage and Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League this season.

Two recent college grads were involved in a trade Saturday. The Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks exchanged a couple of former NCAA defensemen. Kyle Bigos (Merrimack) was shipped to San Jose in exchange for Lee Moffie (Michigan).

Information in this report came from NHL teams' releases and the USA Today Free Agency Tracker.

Jeff Cox covers hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

The latest member of the Lightning's player development department is Trent Cull, who joins the Syracuse Crunch as assistant coach under new head coach Rob Zettler this season. Cull has history with the Crunch, both as a player and a coach. He played 98 games on defense for the Crunch over the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. He then served as an assistant coach under Ross Yates starting with the 2006-07 season, when the Crunch was an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He joins the Lightning after three seasons serving as head coach for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. Coach Cull took a few minutes of his time to talk about joining the Lightning, what he brings to the organization and returning to the city where he remains a fan favorite.

What's it like, coming back to Syracuse as a coach with the Crunch?

I'm just excited. I know for me to be a part of the Tampa Bay organization is just a great opportunity and it's funny that the American League affiliate just happens to be in Syracuse. To be a part of the Lightning, working for Steve Yzerman and Julien BriseBois, some great guys, some great coaches on staff and especially with Rob (Zettler, Crunch head coach). And for it to be in Syracuse, it's just an added bonus.

What do you bring to the organization as a coach?

I used to be an assistant head coach in the American league. Now I've gone away and gotten three years head coaching experience. I think that's just refined me in a sense that I can walk into the office and know exactly what the head coach is thinking. I may not have all their knowledge but I think I can bring something to all aspects of the team. I'm well versed now. Just because I used to play as a defenseman, doesn't mean that's all I know. With my experience, I know now how to coach forwards. I know what it's like to have the responsibility of coaching a whole team now, not just one area.

In your short time here so far, have you noticed any major differences in the player development philosophies of the Columbus and Tampa Bay organizations?

It's too soon to tell. I just got here. I've literally only been on the payroll a couple of days. I was offered the job, I think, on Monday and I took it on Tuesday or maybe it was Wednesday, I don't even know. And then I just signed my contract when I got here the other day. It's been a quick turnaround. But for me, it's always all about the personnel. I think being with Rob, he's just a really good person, great hockey experience, playing so much in the NHL, coaching in the NHL for so long. That is certainly something I don't have on my resume and it's a great opportunity for me to learn from him. And then dealing with Steve Yzerman and Julien BrsieBois. These are high end guys. Very intelligent hockey guys, great hockey IQs. And that's the stuff. If I can just spend time working around these guys for a while, I'll learn by osmosis, just being around them.

This group of guys that make up the core of the Crunch have established themselves as a pretty dynamic unit in the AHL, first with a Calder Cup winning squad in Norfolk two years ago and making it to the finals in Syracuse this past season. Any expectations for the upcoming season?

I barely even know the roster yet. As of a week ago, I was travelling and working on things for the Sudbury Wolves (of the OHL). So for me, it's still very, very early. And you know what? I kind of like not having any preconceived notions. I think it's good for me to come in fresh. From all accounts, we've got a great group of guys, with a great team mentality and atmosphere. It's going to be great to just be a part of these guys. Hopefully I can help them along and I'm sure they can help me too.

Any familiar sites in Syracuse you're looking forward to seeing again?

Just friends, I guess is the biggest thing. I have a couple of good buddies there. My wife's family is from Pennsylvania so it's a lot more centrally located for her. My family is excited. I have three young boys but they know Syracuse. So if I was ever going to move somewhere from Sudbury where we've been the last three years, it's great to go back to a place we all know so we're all excited.

Don't be surprised if you get a big welcome on opening night at the War Memorial. From what I can tell, you still have a lot of fans in Syracuse and they're very happy that you're coming back.

Ah! That's great! I'm looking forward to it.

Boston Bruins

Ryan Fitzgerald, F, Boston College

Garnet Hathaway, F, Brown

Matt Lindblad, F, Dartmouth

Casey Bailey, F, Penn State

Colton Hargrove, F, Western Michigan

Brian Ferlin, F, Cornell

Chris Casto, D, Minnesota-Duluth

Matthew Grzelcyk, D, Boston University

Matt Benning, D, Northeastern

Robbie O'Gara, D, Yale

Wiley Sherman, D, Harvard

Derek Docken, D, Alaska-Anchorage

Zane Gothberg, G, North Dakota

Philadelphia Flyers

Kyle Flanagan, F, St. Lawrence

Mark Alt, D, Minnesota

Shayne Gotisbehere, D, Union

Nick Luukko, D, Vermont

Eamonn McDermott, D, Colorado College

Terrance Amorosa, D, Holderness Prep (Uncommitted)

Carsen Chubak, G, Niagara

Reece Willcox, D, Cornell

Cal Heeter, G, Ohio State

Merrick Madsen, G, Harvard

Ryan McKay, G, Miami

Matt Skoff, G, Penn State

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tony Cameranesi, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Teddy Doherty, D, Boston College

Kevin Goumas, F, New Hampshire

Eric Knodel, D, New Hampshire

Dennis Robertson, D, Brown

Dominic Toninato, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Montreal Canadiens

Mac Bennett, D, Michigan

Michael Cichy, F, Western Michigan

Michael Condon, G, Princeton

Matt Grassi, D, Michigan State

Mark MacMillan, F, North Dakota

Frank Simonelli, D, Wisconsin

Brady Shaw, F, Vermont

Josiah Didier, D, Denver

Michael McCarron, F, Western Michigan

Greg Pateryn, D, Michigan

Colin Sullivan, D, Boston College

Steve Quailer, F, Northeastern

Dustin Walsh, F, Dartmouth

Tampa Bay Lightning

Colin Campbell, F, Lake Superior

Brian Hart, F, Harvard

Cody Kuynk, F, Alaska-Fairbanks

James Mullin, F, Miami

Carl Nielsen, F, Michigan Tech

Brendan O'Donnell, F, North Dakota

Matthew Peca, F, Quinnipiac

Drew Olson, D, Minnesota-Duluth

Adam Wilcox, G, Minnesota

Florida Panthers

Nick Bjugstad, F, Minnesota

Michael Downing, F, Michigan

Connor Brickley, F, Vermont

Rocco Grimaldi, F, North Dakota

Matt Buckles, F, Cornell

Wade Megan, F, Boston University

Tony Turgeon, F, Nebraska-Omaha

Joe Basaraba, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Corey Trivino, F, Boston University

Drew Shore, F, Denver

Zach Hyman, F, Michigan

Dan Kolenda, F, Niagara

Michael Matheson, D, Boston College

Ian McCoshen, D, Boston College

George Hughes, D, St. Lawrence

Ben Gallacher, D, UMass (Ohio State transfer)

Eddie Witchow, D, Wisconsin

R.J. Boyd, D, Michigan State

Sam Brittain, G, Denver

Evan Cowley, G, Denver

Winnipeg Jets

Andrew Copp, F, Michigan

Mike Zalewski, F, Rensselaer

Mark Cooper, F, Bowling Green

Tanner Lane, F, Nebraska-Omaha

Matt Bailey, F, Alaska-Anchorage

Austin Czarnik, F, Miami

Luke Eibler, D, Northern Michigan (Northeastern transfer)

Michael Young, D, Nebraska-Omaha

David Johnstone, F, Michigan Tech

Tucker Poolman, D, North Dakota

Brenan Serville, D, Michigan

Zach Loesch, D, Lake Superior

Matt White, F, Nebraska-Omaha

Peter Stoykewych, D, Colorado College

Dylan Margonari, F, Minnesota State-Mankato

Kevin Czuczman, D, Lake Superior

Jacob Trouba, D, Michigan

Connor Hellebuyck, G, UMass-Lowell

Charlie Lindgren, G, St. Cloud

Josh Pitt, F, Western Michigan

Tyler Sikura, F, Dartmouth

Jason Kasdorf, G, Rensselaer

Jamie Phillips, G, Michigan Tech

Juho Olkinuora, G, Denver

Ottawa Senators

Branden Komm, G, Bentley

Andrew Hammond, G, Bowling Green

Tim Boyle, D, Union

Mike Sdao, D, Princeton

Justin DaSilva, D, Ohio State

Jack Berger, F, Princeton

Jeff Costello, F, Notre Dame

Chris Wideman, D, Miami

Ryan Dzingel, F, Ohio State

Max McCormick, F, Ohio State

Buddy Robinson, F, Lake Superior

Quentin Shore, F, Denver

Chris Leblanc, F, Merrimack

Robbie Baillargeon, F, Boston University

Cole Schneider, F, UConn

Derek Grant, F, Michigan State

Edmonton Oilers

Joey LaLeggia, D, Denver

Dillon Simpson, D, North Dakota

Ben Lindemulder, D, Univ. of Alberta (Transferred from NMU)

Aidan Muir, F, Western Michigan

Evan Campbell, F, UMass-Lowell

John McCarron, F, Cornell

Jujhar Khaira, F, Michigan Tech

Jake Baker, D, Northern Michigan

Andrew Miller, F, Yale

Connor Jones, F, Quinnipiac

Lee Moffie, D, Michigan

Bryce Van Brabant, F, Quinnipiac

Kenny Morrison, D, Western Michigan

Kellen Jones, F, Quinnipiac

Chicago Blackhawks

Cohen Adair, F, Northern Michigan

Chris Calnan, F, Boston College

Grayson Downing, F, New Hampshire

Quinn Gould, F, Merrimack

John Hayden, F, Yale

Matt Lorito, F, Brown

Kevin Hayes, F, Boston College

Chris McCarthy, F, Vermont

Tim O'Brien, F, Dartmouth

Milos Bubela, F, Rensselaer

Pat Mullane, F, Boston College

Garrett Thompson, F, Ferris State

Tyler Motte, F, Michigan

Anthony Louis, F, Miami

Vincent Hinostroza, F, Notre Dame

Jake Chelios, D, Michigan State

Luke Curadi, D, Rensselaer

Kirill Gotovets, D, Cornell

Justin Holl, D, Minnesota

Luke Curadi, D, Rensselaer

Sam Jardine, D, Ohio State

Stephen Johns, D, Notre Dame

Guy Leboeuf, D, Rensselaer

Zach Loesch, D, Lake Superior

Nick Mattson, D, North Dakota

Michael Paliotta, D, Vermont

Dan Weissenhofer, D, Air Force

Nolan Zajac, D, Denver

Matt O'Connor, G, Boston University

Matt Tomkins, G, Ohio State

Garrett Thompson, F, Ferris State

Detroit Red Wings

Luke Glendening, F, Michigan

David Pope, F, Nebraska-Omaha

Michael Babcock, F, Merrimack

Dean Chelios, F, Michigan State

Ty Loney, F, Denver

Dominik Shine, F, Northern Michigan

Nick Jensen, D, St. Cloud

Dane Walters, F, Western Michigan

Trevor Hamilton, D, Miami

James De Haas, D, Clarkson

Columbus Blue Jackets

Seth Ambroz, F, Minnesota

Sean Collins, F, Ohio State

TJ Tynan, F, UMass-Amherst

Trent Vogelhuber, F, Miami

Jeremy Langlois, F, Quinnipiac

Thomas Larkin, D, Colgate

Jake Hansen, F, Minnesota

Mike Reilly, D, Minnesota

Will Weber, D, Miami

Martin Ouellette, G, Maine

Peter Quenneville, F, Quinnipiac

Washington Capitals

Riley Barber, F, Miami

Travis Boyd, F, Minnesota

Garrett Haar, D, Western Michigan

Blake Heinrich, D, Minnesota-Duluth

Caleb Herbert, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Patrick Koudys, D, Penn State (transferred from RPI)

Brian Pinho, F, Providence

Zach Sanford, F, Boston College

Nate Schmidt, D, Minnesota

Patrick Wey, D, Boston College

Sam Anas, F, Quinnipiac

Clarke Saunders, G, North Dakota

Pittsburgh Penguins

Brian Dumoulin, D, Boston College

Eric Hartzell, G, Quinnipiac

Scott Wilson, F, UMass-Lowell

Blaine Byron, F, Maine

Nashville Predators

Chase Balisy, F, Western Michigan

Zach Budish, F, Minnesota

Sebastian Geoffrion, F, Alabama-Huntsville

Joe Pendenza, F, UMass-Lowell

Ludwig Karlsson, F, Northeastern

Wade Murphy, F, North Dakota

Jimmy Vesey, F, Harvard

Anthony Bitetto, D, Northeastern

Garrett Noonan, D, Boston University

Teemu Kivihalme, D, Colorado College

Zach Stepan, F, Minnesota State-Mankato

Minnesota Wild

Adam Brace, F, Robert Morris

Mike Collins, F, Merrimack

Adam Gilmour, F, Boston College

Erik Haula, F, Minnesota

Avery Peterson, F, Grand Rapids (Minn.) HS (Uncommitted)

Mike Boivin, D, Colorado College

Gustav Olofsson, D, Colorado College

Nick Seeler, D, Nebraska-Omaha

John Draeger, D, Michigan State

Matt Nelson, D, Princeton

Nolan De Jong, D, Michigan

Carson Soucy, D, Minnesota-Duluth

Tony Capobianco, G, Canisius

Steve Michalek, G, Harvard

Los Angeles Kings

Johnny Brodzinski, F, St. Cloud

Nic Dowd, F, St. Cloud

Nick Shore, F, Denver

Brian O'Neill, F, Yale

Michael Mersch, F, Wisconsin

Joel Lowry, F, Cornell

Derek Forbort, D, North Dakota

Paul LaDue, D, North Dakota

Kevin Gravel, D, St. Cloud

San Jose Sharks

Mark Cooper, F, Bowling Green

Chris Crane, F, Ohio State

Cody Ferriero, F, Northeastern

Max Gaede, F, Minnesota State-Mankato

Brent Harris, F, Connecticut

Eriah Hayes, F, Minnesota State-Mankato

Sean Kuraly, F, Ohio State

Rylan Schwartz, F, Colorado College

Tommy O'Regan, F, Harvard

Danny O'Regan, F, Boston University

Travis Oleksuk, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Matt Nieto, F, Boston University

Brodie Reid, F, Northeastern

Reed Seckel, F, Northern Michigan

Sebastian Stalberg, F, Vermont

Brian Ward, F, Dartmouth/St. Lawrence

Jake Jackson, F, Michigan Tech

Kyle Bigos, D, Merrimack

Isaac MacLeod, D, Boston College

Cliff Watson, D, Sioux City Musketeers (de-committed from Ohio State)

Matt Tennyson, D, Western Michigan

Joakim Ryan, D, Cornell

Zach Palmquist, D, Minnesota State-Mankato

Gage Ausmus, D, North Dakota (de-committed from Denver)

Troy Grosenick, G, Union

Steve Racine, G, Michigan

Phoenix Coyotes

Connor Clifton, D, Quinnipiac

Jedd Soleway, F, Wisconsin

Rhett Holland, D, Michigan State

Zach Larraza, F, Denver

Hunter Fejes, F, Colorado College

Dallas Stars

Thomas Aldworth, F, Providence

Curtis McKenzie, F, Miami

Jacob Fallon, F, Vermont

Devin Shore, F, Maine

Will White, F, Northwood Prep (uncommitted)

Greg Johnson, D, Williams College

Dmitry Sinitsyn, D, UMass-Lowell

JB Baum, D, Dallas Stars U16 (uncommitted)

John Keeney, G, Alaska-Fairbanks

Cab Morris, G, Dartmouth

Buffalo Sabres

Tyler Gjurich, F, Maine

Brad Navin, F, Wisconsin

J.T. Compher, F, Michigan

Sean Malone, F, Havard

Anthony Florentino, D, Providence

Alex Iafallo, F, Minnesota-Duluth

Calvin Petersen, G, Notre Dame

Connor Hurley, F, Notre Dame

Christian Isaackson, F, Minnesota

Judd Peterson, F, St. Cloud

Tim Schaller, F, Providence

Andrew Black, F, Colgate

Connor Knapp, G, Miami

Kevin Czuczman, D, Lake Superior

Chad Ruhwedel, D, UMass-Lowell

Jake McCabe, D, Wisconsin

Calgary Flames

Corban Knight, F, North Dakota

Ben Hanowski, F, St. Cloud

Johnny Gaudreau, F, Boston College

Matt DeBlouw, F, Michigan State

Drew McKenzie, D, Vermont

Dan O'Donoghue, D, Mercyhurst

Noel Acciari, F, Providence

David Eddy, F, St. Cloud

Brody Hoffman, G, Vermont

Curtis Leonard, D, Rensselaer

Kenny Agostino, F, Yale

Bill Arnold, F, Boston College

Josh Jooris, F, Union

Mark Jankowski, F, Providence

Jon Gillies, G, Providence

John Gilmour, D, Providence

Bryce Van Brabant, F, Quinnipiac

John Ramage, D, Wisconsin

Tim Harrison, D, Colgate

New York Islanders

Anders Lee, F, Notre Dame

Brock Nelson, F, North Dakota

Scott Mayfield, D, Denver

Eamon McAdam, G, Penn State

Stephon Williams, G, Minnesota State-Mankato

Taylor Cammarata, F, Minnesota

Trevor Moore, F, Denver

Evan Rodrigues, F, Boston University

Doyle Somerby, D, Boston University

Cason Hohmann, F, Boston University

Ben Rosen, F, Boston University

Colton Beck, F, Alaska-Fairbanks

Jason Clark, F, Wisconsin

Branden Gracel, F, UMass-Amherst

Joe Diamond, F, Maine

Greg Miller, F, Cornell

Nick Sorkin, F, New Hampshire

Matt Tabrum, F, Denver

Riley Wetmore, F, UMass-Lowell

Mike Daluisen, D, Quinnipiac

Mike Keenan, D, Dartmouth

Bennett Schneider, D, Hamilton College

Bradley Nunn, D, SUNY-Fredonia

James Mazza, D, Youngstown Phantoms (Uncommitted)

Ken Reiter, G, Minnesota-Duluth

Josh Holmstrom, F, UMass-Lowell

Joel Rumpel, G, Wisconsin

New York Rangers

Brady Skjei, D, Minnesota

Patrick Brown, F, Boston College

Kyle Jean, F, Lake Superior

Teddy Doherty, D, Boston College

Eric Robinson, F, Dartmouth

Conor Allen, D, UMass-Amherst

Adam Schmidt, F, Holy Cross

Ryan Faragher, G, St. Cloud

Eric Levine, G, Robert Morris

Jeff Malcolm, G, Yale

Adam Tambellini, F, North Dakota

Carter Rowney, F, North Dakota

Matt Neal, F, Rensselaer

Steven Fogarty, F, Notre Dame

Anaheim Ducks

Kyle Novak, F, Western Michigan

Grant Besse, F, Wisconsin

Kevin Lind, D, Notre Dame

Nic Kerdiles, F, Wisconsin

Kevin Roy, F, Northeastern

Steve Whitney, F, Boston College

Keaton Thompson, D, North Dakota

Antoine Laganiere, F, Yale

Chris Wagner, F, Colgate

Jaycob Megna, D, Nebraska-Omaha

Josh Manson, D, Northeastern

Brian Cooper, D, Nebraska-Omaha

Vancouver Canucks

Joe Cannata, G, Merrimack

Sam Marotta, G, Merrimack

Ben Hutton, D, Maine

Wesley Myron, F, Boston University

Joseph Labate, F, Wisconsin

Cory Kane, F, Ferris State

Andrew Gladiuk, F, Bentley

Mike Borkowski, F, Colgate

Matthew Beattie, F, Yale

Paul Geiger, D, Clarkson

Kevin Lough, D, Colgate

Michael Quinn, D, Alaska-Fairbanks

Mike Williamson, D, Penn State

New Jersey Devils

Zach Tolkinen, D, Quinnipiac

Oleg Yevenko,D, UMass-Amherst

Carolina Hurricanes

Brendan Collier, F, Boston University

Brett Pesce, D, New Hampshire

Phil DiGiuseppe, F, Michigan

Danny Biega, D, Harvard

Mike Chiasson, D, Michigan

Adam Brace, F, Robert Morris

Collin Olson, G, Ohio State

Jeff Cox covers hockey for SBNation. Follow Jeff on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will wait to begin contract negotiations with forward Marian Gaborik, according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen as told to the Columbus Dispatch.

Gaborik is entering the final year of a five-year, $37.5 million contract that carries an average annual value of $7.5 million against the salary cap. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season.

Instead of beginning negotiations on a contract extension now, Kekalainen states that the club will wait to see how Gaborik performs this season before elongating the commitment already in place, via the Columbus Dispatch:

"We want to get more familiar with him, get to know him better. Sure, we're thinking about it already, but we're going to let it go into the season, hope to see him score a lot of goals for us and then talk about getting him extended."

Columbus acquired Gaborik from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline. In 12 games with the Blue Jackets, Gaborik recorded three goals and five assists for eight points.

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• In the beginning, the lockout ended, and we rejoiced. Then our teams hit the ice, and, for some of us, the rejoicing was over.
• For others, it wasn't so bad. The Chicago Blackhawks began the season with a historic win streak that apparently rescued small children from a burning building, a bunch of people from drowning in the lake, and all of the kittens stuck in all of the trees in the state of Illinois.
• P.K. Subban began the season by sitting out a few games and then signing a criminally cheap contract with the Canadiens (not your team), which included a clause entitled "How The Organization Will Pay Dearly For This In July 2014."
• Ryan O'Reilly also famously sat out the beginning of the season, and then signed a contract with the Avalanche, which included a clause entitled "How The Organization Just Saved Jay Feaster's Ass From Itself."
• The Washington Capitals started the season depressingly/miserably/soul-crushingly, which appears to have been a character-building experience for Washington Capitals fans. Those of you who have ever made half a joke about the Capitals will know what I'm talking about.
• Meanwhile, somewhere in New Jersey, Daniel Briere's oldest son opened a kitchen cupboard to get a cereal bowl and was almost crushed by all the Class that fell out of it.
• In Detroit, the Red Wings embarked on the Post-Lidstrom Era, which means, they, uh, were there, kind of.
• The Nashville Predators embarked on the Bunch Of Injuries To Key Players Era, which brought out the Ottawa Senators' competitive streak.
• The Florida Panthers were not to be outdone, and immediately began suffering injuries to all of their key players, all of their replacement level players, three quarters of the staff, and anyone living within 25 miles of their BB&T Center.
• In Washington, the Captials eventually recovered, in part due to Alexander Ovechkin being so awesome that he played on both wings at the same time, which is probably how this happened.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in April.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets almost made the playoffs, but unfortunately, against the hopes of every human being outside the state of Minnesota, the last remaining spot in the Western Conference was won by the Minnesota Wild. THIS IS WHY NOBODY LIKES YOU, MINNESOTA WILD.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years, which was a beautiful moment for Leafs fans, MLSE, the CBC, TSN, and all of their sponsors. The Leafs then took one of the best teams in the NHL to seven games, but the hockey gods proceeded to bind their arms and legs together in the final minutes of Game 7.
• The New York Islanders also made the playoffs after a relatively long drought and became the official bandwagon team of the 2013 NHL playoffs.
• The San Jose Sharks swept the Vancouver Canucks and played an absolutely stellar series against the reigning Cup champs, taking the Kings to seven games, because Patrick Marleau is a useless bum.
• The Wings went up 3-1 on the Hawks as Jonathan Toews turned into a petulant child. Tantrum City. Then he stopped being a baby and the Requisite Playoff Adversity was Overcome.
• In the East, a bunch of dumb, boring shit happened, yada yada yada, the Bruins won the conference.
• The Stanley Cup Finals were glorious, which is often what happens when you put the best teams together, and also I was vindicated because I've been terrified of the Bruins since the beginning of the season but every time I said they were practically unstoppable some Habs fan would argue with me that the Bruins weren't even that good and maybe we shouldn't have underestimated them because holy crap and also I was right.
• Patrice Bergeron played with a million injuries, culminating in a collapsed lung, and now every player is going to think doing this is okay because Bergy did it, and he's got heart, and everybody respects Bergy, and it's the playoffs... until somebody dies.
• The elevator to the press box at TD Garden is really slow.
• The Blackhawks beat Boston, and in doing so did not save hockey, or any children trapped in a burning building, or anybody drowning in the lake, or any kittens in trees.
• They saved humanity.
• The End.
• Well, not really, because then a whole bunch of other stuff happened.
• Such as the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, in which the Colorado Avalanche took Halifax Moosehead Nathan MacKinnon with their first pick, after telling everybody who would listen that they would be taking Nathan MacKinnon with the first pick, which resulted in everybody being surprised that they actually took Nathan MacKinnon with the first pick.
• Mike Gillis concluded his year-long mismanagement of his goaltending situation by mismanaging his relationship with his remaining goaltender.
• Before the draft, Philadelphia and the surrounding areas had declared a state of emergency after being overrun with Daniel Briere's Class, so Paul Holmgren did the only thing he knows how to do and threw money at the problem in the hopes that it would go away. He followed that up by ending the Ilya Bryzgalov Era in Philly. In a related story, none of Danny Briere's Class ever accidentally dripped onto Flyers beat writers.
• The Leafs decided to do things a little differently, and threw money at the solution to go away instead, following that up with the most predictable signings in the history of the universe.
• The Bruins threw their problem away, to Dallas, who maybe hope to hide the problem in their new jersey redesign, which will grow on you, I promise. Boston got Loui Eriksson in return, which further proves my theory that the devil owns Peter Chiarelli's soul.
• Speaking of the Devils, Ilya Kovalchuk retired from the NHL, which sucks for those of us who enjoyed his work, but more so for Jeremy Roenick, who isn't taking it so well.
• Speaking of turning your back, Daniel Alfredsson left Ottawa, and their fans are devastated, which means Andrew Berkshire isn't going to be even a tiny bit nice to them during this difficult time. Alfie is not going to win a Cup with Detroit.
• Speaking of traitors, Jarome Iginla went back to the hat and asked to be sorted again, to Slytherin House.
• Speaking of Slytherin House, as of this writing, Montreal is in on Jaromir Jagr, again, according to his agent. Hahahahahaha.
• If I missed your team or something that happened to it, it's probably because I don't care.

tl;dnr version: the Chicago Blackhawks saved humanity.

From almost the middle of the season, the signs were out there that the relationship between the Blue Jackets and Vinny Prospal might not be as rosy as fans thought. After Prospal came in and helped kick a great deal of respectability and competitive fire into the club, we were overjoyed to see him choose to stay in Columbus at the 2011-2012 trade deadline, and the news that Prospal and then-GM Scott Howson had a "handshake" deal that the winger would play a season or two more before joining the club's front office in some capacity seemed like a beaming ray of hope after the negativity around Rick Nash, Jeff Carter, and the cratering on-ice product.

There, we said, you see? Someone understands us. He knows we're a great town. He likes it here.

Leading the team in scoring for the past two seasons despite the fact he's much closer to 40 than 30, it's been a treat to see him hit career milestones in Columbus, and continue to play with a boundless enthusiasm and joy for the game.

We loved the way he demanded accountability from all his teammates on the ice, in practice, at workouts. He clearly stepped up to become a leader in the room, and it's not surprising that a lot of fans hoped he'd be named a "transition" captain for a year or two while the post-Nash locker room found their way.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that he gave the team a nice injection of swagger when they needed it.

But things were clearly changing after Jarmo Kekalainen came to town. When he and new team president John Davidson were asked about the "handshake" agreement in interviews or season ticket holder events, they usually said it would be a discussion for the offseason, or gently deflected the discussion to another subject - most often the team's impressive growth of young players, which was a message in and of itself.

The Breakup

When the team said they wanted to wait for free agency to discuss re-upping Prospal's contract, it was concerning, but made some sense. With the club on the hunt for scoring help, and trades being a real possibility at the draft, you had to see what shook out before addressing the rest of the market.

But in Prospal's eyes, it must have hurt to be relegated to "a player on the market", and not "a member of our team." Not long after that, Prospal, who had commented how much his family loved Columbus, made the decision to return to the Czech Republic, taking the family with him.

It doesn't seem like that was a co-incidence. The first public fractures had appeared, and they were deep, indeed.

If you've read the tweets from Aaron Portzline, or the recent commentary from Michael Arace, you see the writing clearly on the wall. Prospal, it seems, is almost certainly not going to return. The team's forward depth, enhanced with the addition of Nathan Horton, puts his spot up for grabs - particularly with the growth of Boone Jenner, who seems to be the main challenger to break through to the NHL this coming season.

It is still possible that the team could offer Prospal something if he's still on the market in August.

It's possible that Prospal could decide to make that transition to the front office, if he doesn't get offers to play for any other NHL clubs.

But more than likely, the relationship is over, and the fans are left in their wake, conflicted and heartbroken.

Vinny and the Jackets are getting a divorce.

So how do we deal with that?

When a family breaks up, the kids always get hit the hardest. You want to stay involved with both parents. You need to understand that you are still loved, and you want to enjoy the time spent with each side of the family without feeling guilty or conflicted.

For parents, it's often difficult to balance what you feel inside and what you express in front of others, and I suspect we're going to see slip ups on both sides.

For fans in Columbus, staying involved with the Jackets is easy - even during this offseason we're going to be seeing a lot of events in town to keep the 'buzz' from last season going, and I'd expect a big PR blitz when the Eastern Conference schedule is finally announced.

Many fans spent time at Development Camp this week, and the team has done a fantastic job of integrating a "virtual" camp for fans who cannot take time away from jobs, or need to follow the team on social media from out of state.

Spending time with Vinny, on the other hand, may be trickier. If he signs with another NHL club, of course, you could follow him there - and I suspect many fans will do just that, rooting for his success even if they aren't as fond of the jersey he's wearing. The Jackets fanbase picked up more than a few people doing the same for Dubi, Bob, and AA. I'm sure other fanbases will be happy to include us as we keep tabs on him.

On the other hand, if he should sign with a team abroad (the KHL is a possibility, but more likely he'd rejoin his home town club, HC Ceske Budejovice, in the Czech league), you can still follow his stats and perhaps find some game reports or youtube videos, but it's not quite the same as watching him in action.

Should he retire, painful as it may be to think about, the best option would be to wish him well. I think most fans would hope he'll spend a little more time on ice with us, but he's certainly earned a chance to kick back and enjoy time with his family.

There's also no doubt that both sides still love the fans. John Davidson's recent spirited defense of the city spoke volumes, and the way the team sold Nathan Horton on the team by giving him a chance to experience the city shows they value the community for much more than just season ticket sales.

Meanwhile, Prospal has made a point of reaching out to fans as he prepared to leave town, telling them how excited he is about the team, and how much he loves the city. To his credit, as frustrated as he must be, he seems to know that a lot of this is business, not personal, and how fans hope to see him back.

Where it gets tricky, then, is that rule about not getting negative about the other side in front of the kids. If and when the breakup becomes official, you're probably going to hear a lot about cap space, contracts, and room on the roster. We're already seeing some of that in the quotes used by Portzline and Arace, and even though Jarmo and JD are making sure to couch their remarks with praises of Prospal's work ethic, talent, and drive, it's still telling the fans that there's no longer room for a player who quickly endeared himself to them. It's important they be honest, but respectful at the same time.

On Vinny's side, he's done the best thing he can: Stayed quiet. At this point it seems like he doesn't want to burn bridges with the team or the fans, and certainly doesn't want to say anything that could put getting another NHL offer at risk.

That said, it's odd, in some ways, that we haven't heard about clubs like New Jersey, Boston, or even Florida looking into Prospal's services. If there's a market for Jaromir Jagr, there should be a market for Vinny, who has continued to be a consistent scoring threat. It might even be a bit of a relief to find out that he's "dating" again, because it means he's not going to hold onto the relationship to the point that it becomes toxic.

Adjusting To A New Family

The next step will be tricky for fans - when guys like Horton take the ice, or if Prospal's spot is taken by Jenner or perhaps Blake Comeau, there will be a temptation to root against them a bit, particularly if they struggle.

"Should have been Vinny."

"Vinny would have had that pass."

"Vinny would have scored there."

Like telling a step-parent that they aren't your real Mom or Dad, it's anger and anxiety at the situation being painted onto a convenient target. We have to be honest: It's not their fault, it wasn't a decision they had any control over, and they're going to be trying as hard as they can to show us that they love us, too, and want us to be happy.

They're not trying to replace what Prospal brought to the room in terms of personality or character - and I'd even say that aside from the rough concept of goals / assists, they aren't trying to replace him on the ice, either. They're different players, who will have different styles and different contributions. The main similarity is that they're here to help the Columbus Blue Jackets win, and that they want to be accepted by the fans for who they are and what they can do.

Meanwhile, if Vinny does play for another club, it's important to remember that he likely holds a lot of good memories of Columbus as a city and our community of fans, and that it's no reflection on us. Unless you can personally offer him a few million dollars to play for your CAHL team, we aren't in a position to keep him playing professional hockey in Columbus. He'll be looking for the chance to keep doing that, and we have to understand and appreciate that.

No matter what, remember that you're not going through this alone. There are fans all around Columbus who can support you and offer a laugh, a beer, or a shoulder to cry on. You have to keep an eye on the bigger picture, remember that there's a bright future out there, and when all else fails, never hesitate to lean on your friends.

Standard Regular Season Stats

Advanced Regular Season Stats (5 on 5)

Standard Playoff Stats

Advanced Playoff Stats (5 on 5)

First off, would like to take a moment of silence for all those still mourning the loss of arguably one of the best playoff beards the Hawks had this season, Viktor Stalberg. Stalberg had a year where he showed flashes of brilliance followed by long stretches in Q's dog house. He was known as the bum slayer putting up multi-point games only twice this season, once against his favorite opponent the LOLumbus Blue Jackets (who only missed the playoffs by one spot) and the Dallas Stars.

But even with his top level speed, Stalberg couldn't seem to get things flowing the way he or the coaches wanted. Stalberg had only 9 goals this season and zero throughout the playoffs. He was a healthy scratch in 4 playoff games after some supposed grumblings about minutes and power play time. Stals spent most of his time during the season on the third line with Shaw and Bickell. Stalberg, but like most players on the Hawks was bounced around seeing time on the first line with Toews and Hossa. While he would be on the top line for brief periods he could never make it stick, and with the log jam that is the top end wing talent on the Blackhawks, seemed like he never would.

At the end of the season it was obvious to just about everyone that Stalberg either didn't want to come back nor was going to be asked to come back. On July 5th he signed a 4-year $12 million contract with the Nashville Predators. Stalberg will get a chance to prove his Chicago detractors wrong in Nashville where he will get a shot at top line minutes and power-play time. I could see Stalberg working his way up to a top line player in Nashville, especially for a team looking for a new identity after losing Ryan Suter and drafting Seth Jones. It all depends how Stals works with no-neck Trotz's defense first system and using his speed to break the Predators out of their zone.

His speed was always his greatest attribute and could fly north-south faster than just about any player in the league, but his hands have been suspect at best and it never seemed like his mind could keep up his feet. He would break out and be on the other side of the ice before you could blink but could never seem to consistently figure out what to do from there. He would take an early shot that would be easily turned away, or he would get steered into the corners and have no where to go with the puck.

Those Rattlesnake fans out there will still get plenty of opportunities to see Stalberg play, and it will be interesting to see how he is received by fans and the Blackhawks alike. I am especially looking forward to seeing Stalberg and Nick Leddy in a foot race for a loose puck. Some will argue that he never got a far shake, but to me, if he had what the Hawks were looking for, he wouldn't be in Nashville right now.

He had difficulty playing up to his 6'3 frame and shied away from a lot of the contact that the Hawks were looking for from him. Maybe it wasn't fair for people to be looking to him to be a physical presence but on a team of smaller skilled players, someone who is 6'3, 210 lbs is going to be looked at for those things. You could say his talent was being wasted on the third line but I think the Hawks would argue that the third line spot was wasted on Stalberg's talent. He was a square peg in a round hole on a team with very few holes. I wish him the best in Nashville and hope he continues slaying bums but the Hawks will be better without him.

Final Grade: C

Red Wings News

Wings sign Smith to two-year, $2.525 million deal | ProHockeyTalk
1 down, 2 more to go.

Red Wings would like to make another move or two, but that's not likely to happen before training camp | MLive.com
So apparently Sammy is still "injured"?!?!

Wings GM Ken Holland on Smith: "We think he can develop into a top-four defenseman." | Red Wings Front
I want him to develop into a top-2 defenseman.

Brendan Smith experienced growing pains as rookie, but Red Wings believe in his potential | MLive.com

He was really good and then he was really bad. If he can replicate the good then this year will be a success for the young defenseman.

Red Wings announce schedule, ticket information for 2013 NHL Prospects Tournament | MLive.com

The eight-team event runs from Sept. 5-9 at Centre I.C.E. in Traverse City.

The Left Wing Lock" Blog Archive " Marc McNulty: A Work in Progress
People will be going nulty for McNulty in a few years.

Detroit Red Wings Salary Cap Update: Brendan Smith Signs 2-Year, $2.525 Million Deal |DSS
So we have just over a million left in cap space. Someone needs to be moved before we can re-sign Andersson and Nyquist.

NHL News

Blake Geoffrion ends his comeback, retires from hockey | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports
It sucks when a player has to retire this early in his career.

Kovalchuk inks four-year deal with KHL's SKA St Petersburg | TSN
That would make him 34 when this deal is over.

Sabres struggling to trade Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, says GM - SBNation.com
Vanek should be very trade-able, assuming that they're not asking for an arm and a leg. But Miller on the other hand will be a lot harder to move considering the market for goaltenders isn't the biggest. Most teams have already filled their goaltender needs.

Columbus Blue Jackets, David Savard agree to one-year, two-way deal - The Hockey News
Savard is an "ok" player. At least in Columbus standards.

Islanders, Bailey agree to terms on five-year, $16.5M deal | TSN
The Islanders are quietly making some really solid moves.

Eric Belanger heads for the KHL | ProHockeyTalk
Another NHL player darts to the KHL.

Ron Hextall back with Flyers, probably as their GM when Holmgren’s fired | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports
Which (for Philadelphia's sake) should be soon.

Bruins firing head of scouting an odd move - The Hockey News

It is an odd move but sometimes you just need change.

Barkov, Lindholm sign entry-level contracts | ProHockeyTalk
The Panthers need Barkov to be a star next season. Especially without Weiss.

Let's Go Red Wings!

Looking back to when it all began (Hockee Night)

A look ahead to 2014 (Blackhawk Up)

A quick look at 3 Hawks prospects in the OHL

The official restaurant of Conference III

Dave Lozo has the Blue Jackets as a early Stanley Cup favorite

Pekka Rinne says he will be ready for the start of the season (Smashville)

Red Wings avoid arbitration with Brendan Smith, good luck with that! (Free Press)

The Flyers bring in Ron Hextall as assistant GM aka the man who will replace Paul Holmgren after they finally shit can him! (Philly.com)

Blake Geoffrion announces his retirement after a horrific skull injury (PHT)

10 games to look forward to next season (Ottawa Citizen)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Blake Geoffrion as a professional scout, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

The hiring comes one day removed from Geoffrion's retirement from professional hockey. The 25-year-old forward sustained a depressed skull fracture while playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League in November of 2012. Geoffrion's head made contact with the ice after a punishing hit from Syracuse Crunch defenseman Jean-Phillipe Cote. The result was a devastating injury that subsequently ended the young player's career.

Fortunately, his playing career is all that ended. He will still be afforded an opportunity to continue a career in professional hockey.

Originally selected with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators, Geoffrion was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in February of 2012. In 55 career NHL games, he registered 13 points (eight goals, five assists).

Prior to the start of his professional career, Geoffrion spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top collegiate player during the 2009-10 season.

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Yesterday, Sarah went through a few more reasons to sign in Boston as a FA. Sure, Chiarelli said he's done for the month but he also said we got Iginla and that never happe- oh. Well. Maybe he's done for the month as of a few months from now, though. Anyways, if there are any FAs considering offers from multiple teams and Boston is one of them, and you're a good player, here are a few reasons not to sign elsewhere:

• Anaheim Ducks - Have to play with contact high during home games when Snoop Dogg is in the hizzouse, nephew! Church!
• Buffalo Sabres - Well, it's buffalo. Lots of good hockey players from there, because they want to get out and there's nothing to do. The only reason the Sabres aren't the most sad-sack organization in town is that the Bills still exist.
• Calgary Flames - Your locker room was underwater over the summer, and the team might still stink more than it.
• Carolina Hurricanes - You're nobody during football season.
• Chicago Blackhawks - Just won the cup so make sure you're signed for more than 2 years if you want a chance of winning it all.
• Colorado Avalanche - Won't get any local endorsement deals as Peyton Manning has exclusive rights to the state at this point.
• Columbus Blue Jackets - Will probably make a little more. A the Ohio State football player will probably steal your girlfriend.
• Dallas Stars - If you sign short-term, you'll end up somewhere else by the end of the year. Have to battle Tyler Seguin for a roster spot.
• Detroit Red Wings - Mommas, don't let your kids grow up to sell Amway...
• Edmonton Oilers - "They have a big mall, though!" is the Edmonton Tourism Board's slogan.
• Florida Panthers - Sometimes your team president flies to Vegas for lunch. If you like getting yelled at by retired Canadian fans, sign right up!
• Los Angeles Kings - Team-building activities include "coke weekend in Las Vegas" and "Pancake Breakfast" so if that's your bag, I guess that's alright.
• Minnesota Wild - No cap space to sign you or anyone else after the Parise/Suter signings.
• Montreal Canadiens - Parlez-vous français?
• Nashville Predators - If you like the spotlight, see employment elsewhere unless you are Seth Jones. Hope you like country music.
• New Jersey Devils - What did Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise know that you don't?
• New York Islanders - They say that free agents stick around after signing there. Do you really want to meet Long Island mobsters?
• New York Rangers - You will never, ever, ever, ever win a "best dressed" award while Lundqvist is around.
• Ottawa Senators - Your neighbors will be very good at things like petitioning Canadian congress. Which is cool, I guess.
• Philadelphia Flyers - Will be traded before your NTC kicks in.
• Phoenix Coyotes - The only state that holds onto the old Soviet refrain, "Papers please, comrade!"
• Pittsburgh Penguins - Hope you don't need to catch a cab, ever.
• San Jose Sharks - Window is closing (closed?). Can get a great deal at Fry's on that video card you've been looking for. Traffic sucks.
• St. Louis Blues - Cheapskate owner keeps trying to make it work near the cap floor.
• Tampa Bay Lightning - Team doesn't like funny faces. Paying Vinny Prospal to not play there. Relying on Ben Bishop to provide solid goaltending and he's not facing college players anymore.
• Toronto Maple Leafs - Phil Kessel is probably leaving after this year, leaving a core that includes Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson.
• Vancouver Canucks - Play for John Tortorella. Go ahead, ask him why that's bad. This interview is OVER!
• Washington Capitals - Will be late to practice often, stuck behind motorcades.
• Winnipeg Jets - Have to live in Winnipeg. God help you if you're not white and/or not from North America.

As you can see, all of those cities and teams suck and nobody should play for them.

2013 has brought about a lot of change within the NHL. The biggest change has been league realignment, which will go into effect for the upcoming 2013-14 season. And it's a change that the league royally screwed up.

How is it fair to any of the Eastern Conference teams that they have to beat out 15 other teams to make the playoffs, while the teams in the Western Conference only need to be better than 13?

It's not, but that's just how Gary Bettman's NHL seems to run. Imbalance is starting to seem like the rule, not the exception. But if the NHL is still in the mood to change some things, maybe they should rid the league of some of it's imbalance and fix the point system.

Since the NHL introduced the overtime loser point in the 90's, NHL games have varied in the amount of points they are worth on a nightly basis. If a game ended in regulation the game was worth two points, but if it went to overtime, the game became worth three.

The presence of the extra point brought about a lot of nonsense. Teams in the 3rd period were all of a sudden playing for overtime instead of pushing to win the game.As the season wore on , teams were hoping rival's games would end in regulation, so they would only be affected by two points in the standings and not three. Teams were even clinching playoff spots with overtime losses.

I'm not an NHL big wig, but it doesn't seem like rocket science to realize that all 1230 games on the NHL calender each year should be worth the same amount of points. It also doesn't take a genius to realize that the second you clicked on this story, I was going to propose some cockamamie solution to the NHL point system.

Of course I am!

The first thing that needs to be done is to set a concrete number of points a game is worth. For my system to work, each game needs to be worth 3 points. Unfortunately that may allow some super team in the future to approach 200 points in a year. The actual threshold point totals reach shouldn't really be an issue though, so if a team wins the division with 180 points, so be it.

If each game is worth 3 points, then obviously each regulation win is worth 3 points and each regulation loss is worth zero, a la most soccer leagues.

The next issue is overtime outcomes. Again, wins are worth 3 points and losses are worth zero. My reasoning here is fairly simple. If you get beat by a goal scored with a running clock and defenders on the ice trying to stop you from scoring, then you deserve the full 3 points.

The same is true on the other side. If you get beat by an actual NHL goal that counts in a players statistics, then you got beat fair and square and don't deserve any points. Overtime isn't Field Day in elementary school, where all you need to do it show up and you get a ribbon. You want the points? Win the game!

Now if this were a true Chris McNally solution, I would completely abolish the shootout. But lord knows the NHL loves its shootout, so for the league's sake I'll keep it intact. The point system for a shootout win and loss would stay the same, two points for a shootout win, and one point for a loss. I don't think it's fair for any team to get completely penalized for losing a game in a skills competition, so that's why the points are divided.

In this system, every game is worth three points, whether you get to overtime or not. It also, at least in regulation, eliminates the ability for a team to play it safe and try to make it to overtime to at least earn a point. Here is the point breakdown again:

If you are wondering how this point system would have affected the NHL standings last season, here is a breakdown of what the standings were under the current system (left) and what they would have been using my system (right).

Eastern Conference:

Western Conference:

While the difference in the standings isn't drastic, teams that benefited from overtime losses and shootout wins noticeably suffered in the standings under my system.

Is the system perfect? Probably not, but it does address the two major problems with the current system. It allows every NHL game to be worth the same amount of points and it would cause a greater urgency to win late in a tie game.

Wait, the Islanders wouldn't have made the playoffs in my system? Maybe we should just scrap the whole idea. Anybody have a better idea?

DUCKS NEWS

• Zack Stortini thrilled to be a Duck. [Sudbury Star][Ed. Note: Nobody told him he's probably going to be Norfolk Admiral then? -CK]
• Dustin Penner told the LA Times that he's "always wanted to come back" to the Ducks organization. [LA Times]
• The OC Register profiles Igor Bobkov. [OC Register - $]
• The Fort Wayne Komets have added three defensemen to their ranks. [Indiana's NewsCenter]
• The Ducks will hold Power Player tryouts this Saturday at Anaheim ICE. [Anaheim Ducks]

AROUND THE NHL

• Who do you trust when you're a young, rich future NHL star? [The Province]
• Should the Edmonton Oilers go after Kings grinder Kyle Clifford? (Yes!) [Edmonton Journal]
• Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nathan Horton has had shoulder surgery. [NHL.com]
• Gilbert Brule, and how off-ice issues can greatly affect on-ice performance. [Backhand Shelf]
• The NHL's new bodychecking rule has not cut concussion rates. [CBC]
• Could Seth Jones become hockey's first African-American superstar? [SB Nation]
• Dallas Stars fans shouldn't forget about the contributions that Rich Peverley will bring to their team. [Defending Big D]

All the news that kinda, sorta, maybe fit to print.

Local (Lightning)

Lightning open 2013-14 schedule at Boston, Chicago | Breaking Tampa Bay, Florida and national news and weather from Tampa Bay Online and The Tampa Tribune | TBO.com
The NHL finally released the schedule for next season, along with the new division names. The Lightning may be competing in the "Atlantic division" but they'll always be #Flortheast to me. Full schedule

2013 NHL Entry Draft: Why the Tampa Bay Lightning Passed on Drafting Defense | Lightning 101 | Sports Media 101
Kyle Alexander of Lightning101 took a look at the Lightning's draft, and he's not worried about the team skipping the defensemen this time around. "So before you call for Yzerman's head, or bemoan the lack of defensive depth the Lightning possess - remember that just because a position wasn't drafted this year, doesn't mean there isn't help coming at that position soon."

National (NHL)

Time Running Short for NHL Goalie Gear Reductions - The Goalie Magazine - InGoalMag.com
The NHL and the NHLPA have agreed to make changes to goaltender gear, but like everything else this year, the details are not getting hammered out very quickly, and that's a problem. Gear has to be chosen, ordered, made (this is after all 100% custom work), approved by the league, and tested by the goalies. It takes a while for all that to get done and if you've got 60+ guys doing it all at once....well, you get the picture.

As for the impact of these changes, don't expect anything earthshaking. Goaltender equipment has had less real impact on scoring than changes in goaltender techniques and changes in the number of power plays have. Most guys are fine with changing it, though, as long as they're not compromising safety. The most talked about change--decreasing the thigh rises--will allow a few more 5-hole goals a year without putting goalies in much greater danger. The problem will come if cutting down chest, arm, and knee protection allows more shots off those composite sticks to bruise players and create greater stress on knees and hips when dropping to the ice. It will be interesting to see whether goalies are out more frequently as a result of such changes.

Shannon Proudfoot talks about breaking up with Daniel Alfredsson
Ottawa journalist Shannon Proudfoot wrote about what it was like to watch the face of the franchise walk away and sign with another team. Gee, that seems awfully familiar somehow.

How much do "character guys" matter to a team? | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com
Justin Bourne tackles the question of character, pooh-poohed by hard-hearted stats guys and lauded by old-school romanticists. It may not earn you wins, he says, but "having people who purify the air from becoming toxic makes some sense." After all, a hockey team is a workplace with particularly intense personal interactions.

Gilbert Brule, and how off-ice issues can greatly affect on-ice performance | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com
More from Justin Bourne, who talks about how having a crappy personal life really can affect your play, even if you're a professional. Beacuse of that whole "human being" thing.

NHL concussion epidemic: Getting better or remaining a crisis for player safety? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports
Has the NHL gotten results from rule changes about targeting the head? "Dr. Michael Cusimano of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto compared concussion rates before and after the NHL made rules to target head shots. And he found that the League hasn't made great gains in the fight." Most of the problem is that about 60% or so of the concussions Cusimano looked at were the result of clean, body checks, not illegal head hits. Cusimano's prescription? Tougher penalties for head hits and make fighting illegal. Um...okay?

Hockey world gathers to pay tribute to Wayne Fleming | Flames | Sports | Calgary Sun
When Wayne Fleming died earlier this year, it wasn't just the Lightning who mourned him.

Nill making 'Big D' the Winged-Wheel way - The Hockey News
Apparently Steve Yzerman's not the only guy looking towards the Detroit model for inspiration and guidance. The Dallas Stars' new GM Jim Nill is even raiding the front office.

NHL - John Buccigross: The Blake Geoffrion story - ESPN
Many of us remember the game at Montreal's Bell Centre where the skate of Syracuse Crunch defenseman J.P. Cote caught the side of Hamilton Bulldog Blake Geoffrion's head. Geoffrion was left with a depressed skull fracture and some pretty intensive healing to do. He just announced his official retirement from playing professionally, and has taken a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a scout.

I remember Blake well from his time in Nashville. I have never met a professional player who made me feel more like a mom than Blake Geoffrion did. This article by John Buccigross about the Geoffrion family, Blake's injury and its aftermath for all of them only reinforces that feeling. And as J.R. Lind noted, not only was Geoffrion a very Preds-y kind of player, he scored the Preds-iest hat trick that ever was in his first NHL season.

The Most Notorious Villains in NHL History | Last Word On Sports
On the heels of Alfie's heel turn, Rory Harbaugh looks at the NHL's biggest villains. I applaud the mention of Jarkko Ruutu, who is widely despised in Finland these days, especially after a cheap shot on a draft-eligible kid (Artturi Lehkonen) in February. Lehkonen was stretchered off; Ruutu got three games.

International (Europe & World)

NHL & NHLPA Reach Agreement With IIHF For Player Participation in Sochi - Tampa Bay Lightning - News
We've heard this was coming for some time, but now it's official. After picking each other to death, the NHL has finally gotten an agreement with the IIHF to allow for NHL players to participate in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. As someone who has been looking forward to this for four long years, I say, thanks for not screwing this up, Gary.

Farm Report (Syracuse & The Minors)

Mark Barberio assesses 2013 season in Syracuse - YouTube
Barberio just signed a one year, two-way deal with the Lightning. Most observers think he's got a great shot at making the Lightning out of training camp this year. This video done for Syracuse.com features Barbs's thoughts on the Crunch's 2012-13 season.

Lightning Re-Sign Forward J.T. Brown - Tampa Bay Lightning - News
Forward J.T. Brown also got re-upped.

Business (Business)

Keeping fans in the stands is getting harder to do - Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports tells us that attendance in U.S. sports has declined or leveled off the last three to five years. Except in hockey. The moral of this story: Begin stockpiling supplies for the next lockout.

The Market (Numbers)

The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and their not-so-secret use of analytics | Buzzing The Net - Yahoo! Sports Canada
The junior team is well-known for their collection and use of many of the so-called advanced statistics that are being used in hockey these days. More importantly, they're refreshingly open about them and what they mean (and don't mean.)

Is Jonathan Drouin's Success Due to the Play of Nathan MacKinnon? | Bolt Statistics
I can't say enough good things about Mike Gallimore and Kyle Alexander's new Lightning-centric statistics site. For instance, here's a WOWY (With Or Without You) analysis of the 3rd overall draft pick Jonathan Drouin. WOWYs are unusual even for the NHL, as the data's not all that easy to get at.

Team Luck - Hockey Abstract
Rob Vollman's Hockey Abstract presents an interactive chart showing how "luck" played out for all 30 teams last season. The Lightning didn't do as bad as you might think, largely because of a weird PDO year. With PDO, they were 17th. Ignoring PDO, they're 26th. Having seen this, I wondered how the team's PDO changed over the season. It was astronomical over the first few weeks, but ended up at 985 for the season as a whole. Pretty sure the word "plummet" is a possible descriptor.

Funnies

Nashville's Rich Clune recently signed a new contract that appears to have an unusual addendum:

Here's the last page of my new contract I just signed ok pic.twitter.com/MVHqIfHAG9

via pbs.twimg.com

— Rich Clune (@richcluneshow) July 18, 2013

And Boltprospects has this take on news about a new contract for Brendan Mikkelson:

Congrats to former #TBLightning and #SYRCrunch Brendan Mikkelson, who signed with the Penguins. pic.twitter.com/D8s8oX64oY

via pbs.twimg.com

— Bolt Prospects (@BoltProspects) July 19, 2013

For the third time in the six years I've been calculating the total distance traveled by NHL teams during the upcoming season, the San Jose Sharks will log the most mileage in the league, with over 57,000 miles ahead of them on the 2013-14 NHL schedule.

Below you'll find the total travel mileage and number of times each NHL team plays games on back-to-back nights for the upcoming season, along with the two previous full seasons (2011-12 and 2010-11) for a point of comparison. To go even farther back, check out this post from our archives, which contains data going back to the 2008-9. You should be able to click the column headings and this table will re-sort itself automagically:

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In addition to the totals available here, there is more detailed information which I've published as a Google Spreadsheet, with game-by-game data which includes the distance traveled from one game to the next, along with team-level statistics for that night's opponent, to facilitate a very basic kind of strength-of-schedule analysis if you wish to perform one.

KHL Super Schedule 2013-2014: Taking Hockey Travel to the Extreme

So you think NHL teams travel a lot? You should see how far teams fly in the KHL!

A few interesting tidbits from this year's data:

• While the Sharks may be jet-setting across North America this season, at least they'll have the fewest sets of games on back-to-back nights (10), along with other major traveling teams Winnipeg & Colorado. In an interesting balancing act, most of the teams with a high amount of travel mileage benefit from having fewer back-to-backs.
• The Detroit Red Wings should be thrilled with their move to the Eastern Conference, as they can look forward to the easiest schedule they've ever had in the six years I've been compiling this.
• The cushiest schedule by far goes to the New York Rangers, who not only travel the least but also have very few (13) back-to-back sets of games. So quit your complaining, Larry Brooks, the Blueshirts actually traveled further in many previous seasons, thanks in part to those European openers in which the Rangers were regular participants.
• While the new divisional alignment & schedule ensures that each team travels to every other NHL city, the average miles traveled by team is pretty much in line with the two previous full seasons. Again, there are no European openers this season, a minor factor reducing overall travel mileage.

Got your own questions, thoughts or analysis on the 2013-2014 Super Schedule? Share them in the comments below, or on Twitter using the hashtag #superschedule!

More from On the Forecheck:

• Nashville Predators Schedule Released for the 2013-2014 Regular Season
• 2014 Winter Olympics: Which Nashville Predators Will Go to Sochi?
• Friday's Dump & Chase: Can You Root For "Bad" Guys?
• Rich Clune Learns to Use His Mac Computer, Turns to Facebook for Philanthropy (and Possibly Trolling)
• Nashville Predators Analysis: What's Luck Got To Do With It?