Hockey, like so much of life in North America, is moving back toward normalcy.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are in progress, with games contested in team's home arenas rather than a neutral site, and with fans in at least some of the seats.
There is more talk of the expansion draft than of epidemics, of prospects and protected lists rather than precautions and preventive measures.
Still, the long journey to pre-pandemic conditions is far from complete.
Crowd sizes still are restricted in some venues, and the Canadian government only recently relaxed restrictions that would have prevented U.S.-based clubs from entering that country to participate in playoff games. Players and staff of Vegas, which will face Montreal in the semifinals, still effectively will be confined to their hotel and the arena when they go on the road for Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, 6.
What's more, the draft that provides young talent for NHL teams is expected to be conducted remotely for the second year in a row; in normal times, team officials convene in a city not only to select prospects but to discuss possible trades, conduct meetings and other such matters.
Oh, and there's at least one other bit of evidence that things aren't proceeding as usual just yet: It still isn't known whether clubs will be permitted to conduct the development camps that generally are held shortly after the draft.
Ron Hextall confirmed via text Friday that the Penguins' plans for one remain on hold.
"At this point, we're not sure whether it will be permissible," he wrote. "We will adjust as we receive directions from the league."
Development camps give team officials a chance to test and observe young players whose rights they own, as well as some undrafted players they believe might have pro potential. The players, meanwhile, get introduced to the way the club does business, to its culture and expectations.
The Penguins haven't had one since 2019, when recent draftees such as Samuel Poulin and Nathan Legare took part.
The draft is scheduled for July 23-24 and while it is the culmination of a year's work for scouts, their next one will begin shortly thereafter.
"Once the draft is over, it goes pretty quickly into the next year," Penguins assistant GM Patrik Allvin said. "USA Hockey has their world junior camp playing Sweden and Finland up in Michigan the week after the draft, I think, and in early August, the next weekend starts with the (Ivan) Hlinka tournament being played over in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
"Our guys are having a busy summer, for sure. They'll have a bit of a break in August, but the seasons really go into each other."
What kind of access scouts will have to some summer competitions isn't clear. Many leagues and tournaments in North America and Europe -- the ones that operated, that is -- barred them from attending because of pandemic-related concerns.
Allvin is hoping that things will have returned to normal by the time events such as the Hlinka tournament take place, but realizes there's no guarantee that will happen.
"It's a tough question," he said. "I would hope so. I think the U.S. is definitely ahead of the Canadians and European countries (in controlling the pandemic via vaccinations). My understanding is that Hockey Canada isn't going to send any teams to summer events. Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to see any Team Canadas out there this summer."
Because Canada is a primary source of talent for the NHL, that could cause problems for scouts charged with assessing players who will be chosen in the 2022 draft. Even if the junior leagues -- especially the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League -- operate in a pre-COVID-19 manner during the coming winter, being unable to evaluate prospects during the summer will complicate an already-difficult job.
"It's always good for us to get an early look at players, kind of identify what's out there," Allvin said. "In general, the earlier you can see players, the better it is for us to continue watching them and see how they develop over the year."
