The Civic Holiday is over and it’s now officially the second half of summer. It’s that time where kids sit around saying “I can’t believe summer is already half over,” while their parents sit around saying “I can’t believe summer is only half over.”

Our Maple Leafs are still enjoying the off-season. Auston Matthews in particular appears to be having lots of fun.

Now to spoil the second half of your summer with a reminder: there is less than four weeks until the NHL must decide whether or not to activate the opt-out clause in the CBA, changing its end date from the summer of 2022 to the summer of 2020. Expect talk about this to pick up significantly from the major hockey media personalities in the next week, or as rumours begin to circulate “from a Western Conference Owner” about what is going on behind the scenes.

Top 25 Under 25

The series continues with #20 to #17 in this abbreviated week. We will reveal #20 at 8:00 a.m. In the meatime, check out our recap of your votes for that range.

2019 T25U25 Week 1 recap & Community Vote reveal

Other News

Will FOX TRAX make a comeback?

Future of Media: How Fox Will Challenge ESPN and CBS - The Big Lead
Where else could Fox go? “Hockey,” Evans said. “Hockey’s [TV rights] are up after two more seasons. That could be a place that we’d like to delve back into.”

How The Wild Got Here and What To Look For In The Next GM - Hockey Wilderness
What led to the decision to move on from Fenton after just 14 months? And with Fenton no longer at the helm, what qualities should the Wild look for in his replacement?

Coyotes could benefit from rescuing wantaway winger Puljujarvi - Five For Howling
Jesse Puljujarvi is determined to leave Edmonton and the Coyotes could be the ideal destination.

Color of Hockey: Defenseman's path to pros on YouTube
When Emmanuel Glaze saw [Malcolm] Hayes' videos, he quickly booked him as a guest on his Atlanta-based "The Crush Sports Talk" live-streamed internet show. "Just the fact that a kid from Georgia -- this is football area, basketball area -- finding a love and passion for hockey, an African American youth like that, it's a compelling story."

Tampa Bay Lightning sign defender Shattenkirk to one year deal - Raw Charge
After years of rumors, the Lightning finally land Kevin Shattenkirk.

Apparently this was all a surprise to him too. Him alone.

It’s never too early to start projecting World Juniors rosters!

From The Branches