BOCA RATON, Fla. – A refrain you heard often this week at the annual NHL general managers meeting in Florida is that the game is in a good place. There wasn’t any need for dramatic debate or rule changes. This was, essentially, a pretty quiet three days. There were some updates. Some video debated, but nothing earth-shattering.



And that’s great because it allows us to shift focus to the teams these GMs are running. The trade deadline is gone and the 31 team representatives in that room have shifted focus to offseason priorities.



Take Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, for example. He’s done everything he can for his team and now watches as Mike Babcock and the players try to execute. They’re trying to win a Stanley Cup, but in the background, he’s still working on the long-term vision.



“For better or for worse, in management, you always have to be taking that long view in tackling what’s next,” Dubas...