. . . is the state of the economy. The NHL is a gate-driven league, unlike the NFL, so if attendance takes a dive, it hits teams hard. You have to wonder how willing some owners are to take on big player salaries, and how some owners' eagerness to dump big salaries might shape the activity (or lack thereof) we see tomorrow.

I know it's a downer to think about. But what do people think? Do you think any teams will take on max-salary players to try to take a run at the Cup in the short term? And which teams are most (or least) likely to worry about their finances in making trade decisions tomorrow?