News

No, it's not your imagination.

The gap between Labour Day and the official opening of NHL training camps is almost three full weeks this year, the longest in recent memory — and there are a couple of reasons for it, beyond the fact the holiday falls so early this year.

For starters, NHL training camps were reduced from 27 days to 20 days as part of the league's last collective bargaining agreement.

For another, the opening of the regular season has been pushed back to appease the growing number of U.S.-based franchises, many of which draw poorly in the opening month of the season and would just as soon start near the beginning of November.

It's also why high-profile free-agent Mats Sundin's indecision — or Teemu Selanne's or Brendan Shanahan's — about the coming season does not have the same urgency as in years past.

Those players have the better part of three weeks to decide if they're in or out for 2008-09 — and still have enough time to report comfortably for the first day of medicals, which, for the majority of teams, will take place on Sept. 19-20.

Now that Colorado Avalanche centre Joe Sakic has opted in for what will be his 20th NHL season, Sundin continues to draw the most speculation.

Sundin's decision to play in a charity exhibition on Friday in Toronto, may expedite matters, however.

It's hard to imagine the long-time Maple Leafs captain facing all those television cameras again, without giving some hint about his state of mind.

Around the rink(s)

Between now and the start of NHL training camps, the most interesting storyline to monitor will relate to the salary cap. Teams need to get payrolls under the $56.7-million (U.S.) ceiling established for the 2008-09 season, or up to the $40.7-million floor required. There are two teams under the minimum (Los Angeles Kings and Atlanta Thrashers) and six over the maximum (San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks). Expect some financial manoeuvring that may result in deals difficult to explain on a hockey level — including one expected to be completed early next week, when the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs exchange Mike Van Ryn's salary for Bryan McCabe's. … Florida represents a unique, hard-to-get-a-handle-on squad heading into the new season. The Panthers have a quality goaltender (Tomas Vokoun) and a defence that looks pretty deep, beginning with emerging star Jay Bouwmeester and the two players acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes in the Olli Jokinen trade, Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. The presence of that depth is pivotal for general manager Jacques Martin, given how difficult it has been to sign Bouwmeester to a long-term contract extension. Bouwmeester will be 25 at the end of September and avoided salary arbitration this season by signing a one-year, $4.8-million contract, after which he will qualify as an unrestricted free agent. Bouwmeester, one of the quietest players in the NHL, isn't saying much about his plans, but the sense is he wants to see proof that the Panthers are on the right track, under new head coach Peter DeBoer, before any talks on a contract extension. Prediction: This is not the first time you'll hear about the Bouwmeester sweepstakes. By trade deadline time, his name will have been bandied about dozens of times in chat rooms, hot stoves and, of course, weekly NHL notes columns. … A number of 30-something veterans will be going to training camps to earn contracts, including ex-Maple Leafs Bryan Berard, who has been invited to the Philadelphia Flyers' camp, and Jeff O'Neill, who has been invited to the Carolina Hurricanes' camp. Another player down to his last chance is Jeff Friesen, who, like O'Neill, will try to catch on with one of his former teams, the San Jose Sharks. Berard played 54 games for the New York Islanders last season. O'Neill's last tour of duty came with the 2006-07 Leafs, when he scored 42 points in 74 games. Presumably, if 'Canes head coach Peter Laviolette can breathe new life into Sergei Samsonov's fading career, perhaps he can do the same for O'Neill. Friesen played five games for the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL last season. … Selanne, incidentally, is skating when a year ago he wasn't. The expectation is he will play if Anaheim can find the salary-cap dollars. Trading defenceman Mathieu Schneider (and his $5.625-million contract) would go a long way to making that happen. Currently, the Ducks have six players who count more than $5-million against their cap (Schneider, J.S. Giguère, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry), which is why they're the most capped-out team in the league.