Let’s get excited.
It’s the end of July, which means next month is the last month without at least some preseason hockey.
We’re getting there, and this week we have a few sprinkled reasons to kind of be excited on and off the ice.
Islanders News
- A teammate on the work ethic, skills and game-changing ability of our diminutive KHL signing, Maxim Shabanov. [Isles]
- Matthew Schaefer’s busy summer continues this weekend with the junior summer showcase in Minnesota. But will he be able to play in the winter tourney, or will he be with the Isles? [NHL]
- Mat Barzal hit two holes-in-one within a week. [NHL]
- No story other than the photo, but…: When Stan Fischler interviewed Neil Smith, Lou Lamoriello and Mike Milbury as metro GMs for MSG in 1998. [NHL]
Elsewhere
- Kind of funny: Should the Oilers address their shaky goalie situation by acquiring a shaky goalie from the Penguins? I love the thought of the Oilers reaching the final again (they won’t) and answering their “we needed someone to match Bobrovsky save for save” desire by saying “so we got Tristan Jarry.” [Sportsnet]
- At age 37 and after sitting out a couple years due to a hip injury, Nick Backstrom will resume (and surely finish) his pro hockey career back in Sweden. [NHL]
- The cold standoff between the Wild and Marco Rossi continues. [TSN]
- Kind of crazy that Nazem Kadri is already 35. If he and the Flames’ trajectories don’t match, here are some sensible trade destinations. [Sportsnet]