With the outright rejection of three new proposals from the NHLPA to the NHL, the thought is beginning to settle in that we may not see NHL hockey anytime soon. With dramatic pronouncements from both Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr on Thursday afternoon, discussions between the two sides broke off, and with such a drastic distance between their two perspectives, perhaps fans should settle in for the long haul.

The Washington Capitals employed a style of hockey last season that, while helping them win the Presidents’ Trophy, could be argued was ineffective, as the team lost in the opening round of the playoffs for the second time in three years. With massive personnel changes shaking the team, can they right the ship, or are they doomed to fall short when it matters most?

We don’t know how long this NHL lockout will last, so if it becomes extended, we’ll have to get our hockey fixes in other places. Thankfully, Matt Horner has compiled a list of events and tournaments that can tide us over until the locks come off the doors and the NHL players get back to wearing the proper sweaters.

The Colorado Avalanche announced this week that they’re replacing Milan Hejduk as with Gabriel Landeskog as captain of the team, making him the youngest full-time captain in NHL history. Is the 19-year-old ready for the responsibility, or is this just another example of a franchise trying to appease a star player’s appetite?

This summer has seen some wild spending in the NHL, and some major changes have taken place among rosters. Teams like the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings have lost key members and are in a position to decline. But is it that easy to write them off? History suggests it to be so.

To some, an NHL contract amnesty clause sounds like an easy way to cause a player to lose his job and free up salary cap space. However, there are many benefits to such a clause to the player, the team and even the fans. When the NHL and NHLPA are done debating the major issues in the new CBA, contract amnesty is something they should also look into.

Daryl Katz, owner of the Edmonton Oilers, is trying to build a new home for his beloved team. He just doesn’t want to pay for it. Katz and the city of Edmonton have a deal that will see a new arena built with taxpayers footing the bill. It’s not an uncommon scenario, but the benefits in building the arena may not be as fruitful as they seem.

It felt like this summer’s NHL free agency period has been slower than normal, but that’s probably because of the holding out of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. With the pair off the market, things should pick up, but can any team even make a ripple in the wake created by the Minnesota Wild?

Before many NHL Entry Drafts, teams trade draft picks they’ve stockpiled either for higher, but fewer picks or to increase the number of picks they’ll have later on. For the most part, trading draft picks alone has no significant advantage. Matt Horner explains the numbers.

The Los Angeles Kings are storming through the Stanley Cup playoffs and, barring an unimaginable collapse, will win their first championship. The scary part for the rest of the league is that the Kings are in an excellent position to get better next season, and possibly threaten to win more Cups for many years to come.