Quick Strikes for Monday, September 8

It’s not exactly the start of the season but with rookie camps getting underway this week (and rookie tournaments) as well as continuing informal skate sessions around the league, we’re at the end of the dead of summer. The NHL is coming back to life. In fact, at 7 AM this morning, the ice crew at Amalie Arena started installing a fresh ice surface at the arena.

• Swede dreams are mad eof these – the meshing of Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman could go a long was for the Bolts this season. [Tampa Bay Times]
• There’s drama attached to Evander Kane and the city of Winnipeg. Chicago, on the other hand, needs to dump salary… Could the Jets and the Blackhawks do a deal to benefit both clubs? [Sports Mockery]
• Former Lightning forward Ryan Malone is going to get a pro try-out with the New York Rangers. [New York Post]
• Maybe I’m spoiled being in Tampa Bay, but I’ve never heard of a team charging fans to attend a fan fest. It’s a fan outreach event for a franchise to connect to the community. The Toronto Maple Leafs did not truly grasp that, and it showed. [Maple Leafs Nation]
• If you run a hockey blog and are looking for a bit more exposure, might I suggest you try getting you’re site’s RSS feed listed on Hockey Blogs? The site may look ancient but it is being maintained. Downside? $1 submission fee instead of a captcha. [Hockey Blogs]
• Sites, such as Raw Charge, tend to focus on top prospects at current. The gang over at Silver Seven Sens put together a short list of disappointing prospects instead (but not in a countdown format). [Silver Seven Sens]
• Just a bit of housekeeping: The 2014 Lined-Up Update page is closed. You can find a quick recap of transactions for the Lightning from this summer here. [Raw Charge]

For Tampa Bay area amateur hockey players: Which local ice facility do you like best?