Feels like the Stanley Cup was awarded just yesterday but we’re already into full offseason mode. We’ve already seen plenty of activity over the last couple of days with the Lightning acquiring goaltender Anders Lindback and the Sharks picking up defenseman Brad Stuart.

There is going to be plenty of activity in the upcoming weeks and months, so here’s a look at the key dates for the NHL offseason. 

NHL Awards: June 20th 

There’s going to be many important dates this offseason but this is not one of them. The NHL Awards show is a nice night to celebrate hockey but the show is a bit of a farce. Consider that Ken Hitchock is likely to win Coach of the Year even though Darryl Sutter took over the struggling Los Angeles Kings midseason and turned them into the Stanley Cup champs. Or that Henrik Lunqvist is likely to be award the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie even though Jonathan Quick should win it given how he performed down the stretch of the season. 

Nonetheless, it should be a fun night for hockey fans to reminisce on a fantastic season. 

NHL Entry Draft: June 22/23rd 

The first significant event of the 2012 offseason will be the NHL Entry Draft. In previous years, the Entry Draft has preempted the first day of free agency as the big moves have happened at the draft. 

Once again, the Edmonton Oilers will have the first pick overall but all eyes and ears are all several players involved in trade rumors. Is this the time that Rick Nash and Roberto Luongo are finally dealt? Will the New York Rangers move Brandon Dubinsky and will the Toronto Maple Leafs trade to the top of the draft? 

Expect a slew of trades to go down this Friday and Saturday as the NHL welcomes a new class of youngsters to the big leagues. 

Zach PariseFree Agency: July 1st 

The free agent frenzy will begin on July 1 and there are going to be plenty of teams with cap space looking to make a splash. At the top of everyone’s board is going to be New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise, who led the team to the Stanley Cup final. On defense, Nashville Predators minutes-eater Ryan Suter is going to be targeted. 

The Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Winnipeg Jets lead the way in regards to cap space. Keep in mind that none are the typical major-market power players in free agency, so it will be interesting to see whether they are inclined to spend. 

CBA Expires: September 15th 

The most important day in the 2012 NHL offseason could be September 15, which is when the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire. NHL fans still approach these types of negotiations with trepidation given what they’ve been put through previously. 

The good news is that the NHL is in far better financial shape than they were in 2004-05. This time around, there’s more money to go around and the threat of a lockout should be minor. 

The main issues that need to be hashed out is the player’s share of the revenue, the salary floor (the poorer teams would like it lowered) and guaranteed contracts. The NHL would like to move closer to a system that we see in the NFL and lose the guaranteed contracts (see: Rick DiPietro) but that’s not likely to happen. 

If the NHL really wants to put their foot down to achieve these things, we might in fact see a lock out. What’s closer to the reality is some kind of compromise that won’t alter our regularly scheduled programming.