The offseason is when hockey is at its best

Tim Kolupanowich
July 3, 2012

There are many exciting parts of the NHL season. From the beginning of play when fans finally get to see their teams in action, to the All-Star Game when the top talents showcase their sublime skills, to the first round of the playoffs which are loaded with upsets and endless storylines. Ultimately, things end with the Stanley Cup Final where a champion is finally crowned. Throughout each moment, there is always something to look forward to.

But with free agency in full swing and the next big trade just around the corner, this may just be the most entertaining part of the season for all hockey fans.

With each team rebuilding or simply plugging holes, solidifying strengths and fixing weaknesses, this is the only part of the year that provides unbridled optimism for each fanbase. Fans can optimistically hope that “this will be the year!” Whether their goal is to break through a series of playoff failures, make the playoffs or just get out of the NHL’s basement, this is the time every fan, player and coach can honestly say that they fully believe in their team.

Let’s face it. As the months goes on, more and more teams drop out of contention which, as early as December, leaves some fans looking forward to the following season. That means these summer months are the best for fans league wide.

For proof of this, look no further than last summer for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Those months were the most stimulating and optimistic and the reality ended up being much different than the dream. 

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Major acquisitions in Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski had Blue Jackets fans in a frenzy, thinking they would finally breakout and enjoy a playoff run. But they lost their first eight games and stumbled their way to a 29-win, 65-point season; the third worst in franchise history.

But once again we find ourselves in mid-summer and the Columbus faithful can once again be optimistic. Sure, it’s likely they’ll lose their captain and best player Rick Nash, but the return could very well provide them with the necessary tools for a proper rebuild, and that is exciting.

This excitement of an impending major trade or big signing is another reason to love the offseason. Even the most homeristic of fans can find reasons to take interest in news from other teams. (“What?! He ended up where?”) Even in a rivalry they can imagine how their team will match up now and just how much more intense the game will be from now on.

The first half of the season has some surprises. For example, the Minnesota Wild were in first place as late as December 17, but we saw how that ended. Once the calendar turns over, each team is in their own groove and the shocks, for the most part, end.

This summer, we’ve already seen Eric and Jordan Staal unite in Carolina, and the Flyers depart with James van Riemsdyk, the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft. This is just a microcosm of every offseason.

Twists and turns are constantly abound, dropping just as many jaws as Patrick Kane’s dazzling shootout move against Minnesota, Mike Ribeiro going behind the back in overtime, Jason Spezza’s dangle against Winnipeg and Ondrej Pavelec making a save from out of nowhere.

Sure, not many would have predicted the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings winning the Stanley Cup, but there’s not a soul who saw the Flyers getting rid of Carter and Mike Richards. Those moves changed the fortunes and set the stage for the Flyers’ and Kings’ seasons and they happened in the blink of an eye. The luck of a team can change just that quickly and in the salary cap era as those deals are much more likely to happen now.

The trade deadline has become dull over the past few seasons, but with teams able to go over the salary cap by as much as 10 percent, it’s easier to make those high-impact deals that fans talk about years later.

So enjoy this time. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but for some teams this is the only point of the season they can really be optimistic, because once the games actually begin, at least one team will fall behind expectations early and just won’t b able to catch up.

For now, fans get to imagine an endless stream of positive outcomes for next season. Some will see their expectations met and others will just have to wait for the summer once again. It’s the anticipation of the season, of seeing top players finally healthy and prospects living up to enormous expectations that make the summer so great.

Conversations aren’t centered on yet another miserable outing; they’re based on confidence and positivity. Think of it like gambling and how happy you are to see the casino. Only a select few walk out a winner, but everyone goes in feeling great and ready to give it everything they’ve got.

All that anticipation, excitement and optimism is spread evenly around the league, everyone believes right now and everyone is waiting to be wowed by the next big move. And that is why the offseason may just be the best season to be a fan.

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The Author:

Tim Kolupanowich