The Stanley Cup has been presented, the Bruins are planning their Saturday parade in Boston and order has been restored to the streets of Vancouver, but that doesn't mean the hockey world has ended. It just feels that way for Canucks fans. Even though the on-ice games have concluded for a week or two – the summers get shorter every year — this is actually a very busy time for the NHL. There is much to be settled over the next few weeks. Here's a primer as to what's on tap in the immediate future of the NHL:

Formal approval of the Atlanta franchise's move to Winnipeg will come on Tuesday when the league's governors meet in New York. The unveiling of the team's name – Jets is the favourite but not guaranteed – will not come before that. Winnipeg also has to select a coach. Among those in consideration are former Oilers' bench boss Craig MacTavish, head coach of the AHL's Manitoba Moose (a team destined for St. John's) Claude Noel, Blackhawks' assistant Mike Haviland and current Thrashers' coach Mike Ramsay.

Boston's Tim Thomas and Vancouver' Roberto Luongo get to go head-to-head once more, this time at Las Vegas on Wednesday as finalists for the Vezina Trophy. There could be some awkward moments, though Thomas made a point of stopping and chatting with Luongo in the handshake line — pumping his Vancouver counterpart's tires by calling him a “great goalie” — after his Bruins' won the Stanley Cup Wednesday. Pekka Rinne is the third finalist for the Vezina.

The Hart Trophy for the player most valuable to his team will go to one of Vancouver's Daniel Sedin, Anaheim's Corey Perry or Martin St. Louis of Tampa. Calder finalists as top rookie are Carolina's Jeff Skinner, Michael Grabner of the Islanders and San Jose' Logan Couture.

The entry draft goes next weekend at Minneapolis with the first round on Friday. Edmonton is up first, followed by Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and the Islanders. The Leafs draft 25th (with a pick acquired from Philly) and 30th (from Boston) but are trying to move up in the order by packaging their second-round pick (39th overall) and one of those first rounders. The next six rounds go the following day.

Top prospects include Red Deer's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kitchener's Gabriel Landeskog, Memorial Cup MVP Jonathan Huberdeau of St. John and Sweden's Adam Larsson.

The annual frenzy kicks off at noon on July 1. While the talent pool is not as deep as some other years, some of the bigger names among unrestricted free agents this year include centres Brad Richards, Tim Connolly and Tomas Fleischmann. Wingers Alexei Kovalev, Michael Ryder, Alex Tanguay and Simon Gagne. Defencemen Ed Jovanovski, Andrei Markov, Christian Ehrhoff and Kevin Bieksa. And goaltenders Tomas Vokoun, Dwayne Roloson and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Expect the Leafs to make some type of splash at the draft – Brian Burke has a history of it – as they try to wheel and deal their way up the order. Toronto is also in need of depth at centre so they'll be culling through free agents if they can't improve with a trade. Lots of speculation about the Leafs going after Richards but Toronto seems an unlikely destination for the former Conn Smythe winner and now former Dallas Star. The guessing is Richards lands in either L.A. or on Broadway with the Rangers. The Leafs also have have to deal with their own restricted free agents, Luke Schenn, Clarke MacArthur and Tyler Bozak.

Training camps will open in early September and Bodog.ca has already established Vancouver as the favourite to win next season's Stanley Cup at odds of 5:1. Boston is next (8:1) followed by Washington (17:2). The Leafs, as usual, are longshots, tied with Ottawa at 60:1.

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