This was no summer short on material.
We saw superstars switch sweaters and another stay put - all this in a matter of minutes. We saw a legend add to his legacy, another head back home, and a group of players on their way to achieving such status team up to redefine the meaning of fantasy hockey.
There was a lot to unpack in these last four months. But with the season now just hours away, we will have that much more to chew on. Here are five things to keep an eye on ahead of the 2016-17 season:
The P.K. Subban Show
Even before the transaction - and one of the biggest trades in NHL history - the Nashville Predators were becoming appointment viewing. With Roman Josi at the controls, and a three-headed monster in Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and James Neal on the front line, the club was emerging as one of the league's elite teams, and through highly agreeable means.
But with P.K. Subban, the defenseman with box-office appeal and whose skills jibe with their activation style, the Predators have something different. This is a player that elevates them beyond just title contender; with him they've become fashionable. With eyes now on them, it may soon be realized that the hockey in Nashville - fast-paced, uptempo, attacking - is the sort we clamor for.
For another season, Subban will be who we're talking about. Only it will be in Nashville, where his talent is encouraged, his personality magnified, and where he will be motivated to show the Montreal Canadiens just how short-sighted they were. It should be for all the right reasons.
And in Montreal
On the flip side, the Canadiens will be fitted directly under the microscope - with a mob of critics eager to pounce.
Of course, it was the Canadiens who sent Subban to Nashville in exchange for Shea Weber, the expensive veteran defender they believe better fits their style with the punishment he can dole out in the defensive end, and his tendency to get rid of the puck as quick as possible.
But there are more reasons to critique Marc Bergevin's process. He added Andrew Shaw, a player constantly straddling the line that determines what's acceptable behavior and what's not, and who, mere strides into his tenure, was sat down by the Department of Player Safety. And he also paid big money to Alexander Radulov, a talented forward whose character led to him spending the bulk of his career tearing up an inferior league rather than the NHL.
Thankfully for Montreal, potentially poor decisions can, and presumably will be masked by Carey Price. In his return from a season undermined by injury, the great neutralizer can keep Montreal formidable no matter what.
If not the Canadiens, then?
Eight points.
That's the closest a Canadian entry came to qualifying for the postseason last year, as for the first time in nearly a quarter century the country was without a franchise based within its borders in the playoffs.
It can be argued that to at least some extent, all seven teams have improved their chances. We mentioned that Montreal has its goalie, and now so do the Flames. Winnipeg has its dynamic scorer, and Toronto its franchise center, while the Oilers are piecing together a balanced roster around theirs. Vancouver has a winger for the Sedins and a better back line, and the Sens have a new coach and a power-play specialist.
And yet, eight points still seems like a heckuva lot to make up.
Just a season removed from racking up 110 points, Price's Canadiens must be considered the favorite to return - despite how fragile they may be without him. Can the rest take solace in the process?
Sid
The "What's wrong with Sid?" debate is no fun when he's on the ice. But we'll take it every day of the week if it means not having to ask the same question about his health.
In a shocking announcement just days before the season, Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain who has been pushing his performances to brand-new heights, was diagnosed with another concussion.
Of course, any head injury should be considered a serious matter. But for Sid, the ill-effects and subsequent first diagnosis in almost five years, threatens to reintroduce the health problems that have already taken a substantial chunk out of his legendary career.
It was just a few days ago we were debating if Connor McDavid could chase down Crosby, and in his teens, establish himself as the game's best player. Now we're hoping, begging, praying Crosby has even a chance to put that off for a while.
With regard to Vegas
We're closing in on exactly one year before the NHL becomes the first big four league to bring professional sports to Las Vegas, but the ramifications of that venture are already having an impact.
This season, every decision made by NHL executives must be with the upcoming expansion draft in mind. That means thorough evaluation of players from within, while assessing the risk attached with adding and subtracting bodies in pursuit of the main goal: a championship.
As a sidebar, Las Vegas does pose the greatest threat to teams with those title aspirations. Take the Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning - the Eastern Conference finalists from last year - who each face massive decisions with regard to their goalies. Pittsburgh not only has to find a taker on Marc-Andre Fleury, but also convince the netminder himself to move on, or it will most certainly lose Matt Murray. The Lightning, meanwhile, must assess the risk of both hanging on to Ben Bishop and receiving nothing in return on a valuable asset, as well as the prospect of Andrei Vasilevskiy being able to lead them to the Stanley Cup many have them pegged to win.
