That’s a wrap. It opened with many of us (include me) tanking for Gavin McKenna. Lottery odds, long looks at draft boards, the quiet acceptance of what this was supposed to be. Somewhere along the way, it drifted off script. A handful of players who weren’t meant to carry anything gave people a reason to keep checking in. Thanks to everyone who followed along. The mock beat reports, the Skinner quotes, the increasingly unnecessary wardrobe changes for Erik Karlsson. The shirts, the hats. It was all very serious work people like myself do on the beat. Now the offseason arrives with its usual lack of clarity. There is a version where this turns into an Ol’ Yeller summer and a few familiar names are dealt with in ways that feel abrupt. There is another where it’s framed as a retool on the fly. Either path says something about where this is going in Dubas’ plan. For the playoffs, the rooting interests are straightforward. Anyone playing the Philadelphia Flyers will do. Beyond that, the Buffalo Sabres are my team now. They have waited long enough and tend to treat visiting fans like invited guests, at least when I go up there. Out West, the Minnesota Wild are who I will be rooting for. I’m not sure why, but I feel like they’re due. The preference, as always, is that the Stanley Cup remains in the United States. We’ll see what the Pittsburgh Penguins decide to be next. Younger would help. Better would be ideal. The free agent market and draft will point the way, or at least suggest one. Until then.