It's good to be back online and blogging. Just a short personal update for those who care: I graduated from Ithaca College a few weeks ago with a bachelor's degree in Sport Media, and received a job offer from the New Britain Herald, a small, daily newspaper about 15 minutes outside of Bristol, Connecticut, home of ESPN. I'm in the process of moving out there in the coming weeks. So, things have been a little hectic lately, and I apologize for not posting very much. But I had the chance to watch the majority of the Stanley Cup finals, which just ended about an hour and a half ago. Detroit definitely deserved to win the Cup this year. They were the team to beat from the moment the puck was dropped this season, and they certainly outplayed the young Penguins. I'm not in the same boat as virtually everyone else, however, who believed the Red Wings dominated Pittsburgh in every aspect in this series. Rather, I think it was just a clear case of experience prevailing on the biggest stage. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Penguins, if they keep their team together (which in today's professional leagues is never a guarantee), they will win a handful of Stanley Cups. Sidney Crosby is 20. Evgeni Malkin is 21. Marc-Andre Fleury is 23. Jordan Staal is still 19. Even Marian Hossa, the "veteran" they picked up at the trade deadline, is only 29. This team is only scratching the surface of its potential. Crosby and Hossa nearly sent Game 6 into overtime tonight as well, but missed by mere inches. But let's be fair here; the Red Wings are Champions for a reason. They scored the timely goals and goalie Chris Osgood played one of the best series of his career. That generally is a formula for success in the NHL playoffs: great goaltending and key goals. Congratulations to Detroit ... though I'd do anything to see the Sabres bring home the Cup. It's never too early to take a quick look ahead to next season, so looking at the list of potential unrestricted free agents for this offseason, which begins July 1st, here are some names that really stand out: Hossa (Penguins), Joe Sakic (Avalanche), Brendan Shanahan (Rangers), Wade Redden (Senators), Brian Campbell (Sharks ... ugh), Mats Sundin (Maple Leafs), Jose Theodore (Avalanche) and Markus Nasland (Canucks).