This is a weekend of sobering realities for hockey fans.
For one thing, Friday cemented the realization that Pavel Datsyuk really isn’t coming back. Also, a week removed from the free agent frenzy, big moves are going from a deluge to more of a drip.
It all hammers home the point that it will be a while before we get to watch high-level hockey again. The dog days of summer are approaching.
Still, there are still hockey-related events to keep us entertained, and prospects are amassing for scrimmages/development camps during this weekend.
With that in mind, why not fill that hockey void with some highlights?
Sportsnet isolates a crowd-pleasing moment from Auston Matthews, but in case you want more – of both Matthews and Maple Leafs prospects in general – here are two days’ worth of highlights.
Matthews in a Maple Leafs sweater is a big deal, but it wasn’t the only situation to watch.
Consider Alexander Nylander’s slick moves, for one:
This is a sweet save:
Max Domi makes a statement about Arizona Coyotes fans.
If you dig watching people sign contracts, the Hurricanes one-up their competition:
The Calgary Flames shared some highlights of their own:
Here’s a selection of moments from the Red Wings:
Trevor Linden shares his impressions on the Vancouver Canucks’ side of things.
This one from the Winnipeg Jets is a little older, yet it gets in the mix because it’s a mic’d up bit.
Some moments of zen in the form of sprints and rolls:
If you want to go really, really in-depth on power-skating Avalanche players, you’re in luck:
(You’re also a little weird, but that’s OK.)
Granted, as great as all of these clips are, none probably beat on-ice back flips. So go watch that, too.