Zdeno Chara is no longer in Boston after the Bruins captain signed with Washington. And the Sabres made an even bigger splash in free agency by landing 2018 NHL MVP Taylor Hall in October. Hall, for example, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Buffalo by realizing the free-agent market was going to be tight. Oilers general manager Ken Holland chalked it up to the new economic realities facing the NHL. “It’s salary-cap related, which is related to the pandemic, which has given us a hard, flat cap for the foreseeable future,” Holland said.

Stamkos will be limited at the start of Tampa training camp because of a new lower-body injury, general manager Julien BriseBois said Saturday, July 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)Captain Steven Stamkos will be limited at the start of Tampa Bay Lightning training camp because of a new lower-body injury. Stamkos is expected to be ready for the start of the NHL's expanded 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs in early August. Hes here, hes skating, hes been getting treatment, hes been coming to Amalie (Arena) doing his dry land work. But he will not be a full participant on Day One of training camp."