5 Unsettled NHL Storylines to Watch the Rest of the Summer

There are several unsettled storylines this summer that will have a profound impact on the future of several NHL teams and the league as a whole once settled.

The CBA negotiations will without question be the biggest story of the summer, while the futures of unsigned free agents such as Shea Weber, Shane Doan and Alexander Semin will also make headlines.

Let's look at five unsettled storylines for NHL fans to pay attention to for the rest of the summer.

Shea Weber Offer Sheet

As of Saturday morning, no decision has been made by the Nashville Predators to match or not match the 14-year, $110 million offer sheet that captain Shea Weber agreed to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Darren Dreger  of TSN tweeted his thoughts on the Weber decision via Twitter on Friday.

"

Nashville can use full 7 days to decide whether to match Weber's offer sheet, but, I suspect decision has been made.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 20, 2012"

Weber's agent has also made public comments regarding his client's future (via James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail):

"

Weber's agent on @CybulskiShow: "He'd like to play with the Philadelphia Flyers... he doesn't want to go through a rebuilding process again"

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 19, 2012"

Aside from the financial part of the situation, the Predators must determine if having the face of your franchise not wanting to play for the team is a good idea. It's never a good situation when one of the best players on any team doesn't want to be there. He becomes less popular with the fans and locker room morale can also be effected.

Shane Doan's Future

By the end of the weekend, Shane Doan will likely have visited with two Atlantic division teams that are interested in signing him.

John Gambadoro of 620KTAR in Phoenix reported the news.

"

After visiting with the Rangers brass in NY today Coyotes Captain Shane Doan will make his 2nd visit of free agency Saturday in Philadelphia

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 21, 2012"

Doan seems willing to hold off on making a decision until there is a little more news in the possible sale of the Coyotes. There's little reason to be angry at Doan for taking so long to make a decision since this is probably the last major contract of his career.

Alexander Semin Still Unsigned

Alexander Semin is still without a contract for the 2012-13 NHL season, and teams would be foolish to give him a multi-year deal at over $5 million per season.

That doesn't mean teams won't be interested in offering the Russian forward a one-year deal, and according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, the Carolina Hurricanes are one team willing to give him a chance.

"

Rutherford says Canes still looking to add a top-6 forward. Says still interested in one-year deal with Semin.

— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) July 20, 2012"

Semin would be smart to sign in Carolina and play alongside elite centers Eric and Jordan Staal. Joining the Hurricanes and earning top-line minutes would be a great move for Semin's career.

CBA Talks Ongoing

The NHL and the NHLPA met on Wednesday in their attempt to create a new CBA that would allow for labor piece in hockey for the immediate future.

The NHL's first proposal involves things like contract term limits, changes in the revenue split and UFA eligibility adjustments (all per Renaud Lavoie of RDS).

While these sound crazy and unlikely to happen, remember that it's just a first proposal, and many times the strategy can be to make crazy demands right from the beginning.

Even though the proposal is insane, the players should still take it somewhat seriously. Many of the current owners are the same ones who were willing to lose a full season in 2004-05, the last time a new CBA had to be made.

The CBA negotiations will no doubt be the most important unsettled story in the NHL for the rest of the summer, and for fans, hopefully it doesn't become the story of the fall and winter, too.

Coyotes' Future in Phoenix

The future of the Coyotes in Phoenix could easily remain undecided after the summer concludes, but for the NHL, the best possible outcome is that the situation is settled before the season begins so if the team has to be moved, there is enough time for that to happen before the preseason commences.

If the league can find a good owner who is capable and willing to spend money to help the franchise grow, then staying in Arizona could be a good option for the Coyotes. Re-location shouldn't be the only option for the franchise.

It's hard to imagine the team's future being decided before the end of the summer, but it's still an interesting one to keep an eye on.