Four big hockey news topics outside the Stanley Cup Final

The rest of the sports world doesn’t stop revolving during the Stanley Cup Final. Heck, the rest of the hockey world doesn’t even take a breather during the late-spring series.

Here’s a brief gander at what other shenanigans are taking place in the wide world of puck.

Vegas Bound?

Multiple sources reported on Wednesday that the bid for an expansion team is finally drawing to a close, with a team being set to descend upon Las Vegas as soon as the 2017-2018 season.

Of course, the news is still just not much more than a whisper, since NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remained vague as ever when talking about the matter with the media on May 30.

A clear-cut answer is — hopefully — expected when the board of governors reconvene in Vegas in late June.

Potential Superstar Departures

It might have been the Pittsburgh Penguins that won the Eastern Conference Final, but the Lightning is still in the headlines as the future of Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay continues to be open-ended.

There is a healthy list of players who could be switching sweaters once the offseason trade frenzy gets underway, but some players are grabbing all the attention even before the 2016 playoffs end. And despite recently telling the media that he hopes to be back with the Bolts next season, Stamkos told NHL.com that he plans to “rest for a week or two and then we’ll start looking at things.”

Stamkos isn’t the only big name in the league whose future is a bit up in the air. Veteran forward Pavel Datsyuk has reportedly received an offer to play for a KHL team but “won’t make a decision until after speaking with Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland,” MLive.com said.

Hitchcock Farewell Tour

Not long after inking a one-year deal that will keep him behind the St. Louis Blues’ bench, Ken Hitchcock announced that the 2016-2017 campaign will also be his send-off.

Well, as a coach, at least.

Per an ESPN report, he is “leaving the door open” to taking a hockey job outside of coaching.

... the 12-month grind of being a head coach and the constant work a coach has to do to improve and keep up with the changes in the game is more than the 64-year-old Hitchcock wants to commit to beyond this season. 

"If I'm not going to get better in the offseason, I'm doing a disservice," Hitchcock said. "I'm ready to go for next year. I'm excited. This is an unbelievable group of guys with a lot of potential."

Hopefully that means more catchy Hitch-ian quotes even after he’s done being a bench boss.

John Scott

The complete rosters for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey were announced last week, and like roster announcements for most all-star-type competitions, there is a whole list of players who are left off the roster, sending viewers and analysts alike into a tizzy.

But All-Star Game MVP John Scott might have a solution to that.

The polarizing big man took to social media to present the idea of the “All-Snub Team” which would include notable snub-ee and current Stanley Cup Final participant, Phil Kessel.

Hard to deny that forming his own World Cup team would be a great story line for the future John Scott movie.