The return of the World Cup of Hockey has been an undertone throughout this season. It hasn't been the main focus, because the tournament isn't until September - but its presence has been felt, particularly as nations (or Team Europes, or Team North Americans Under 23 Years Old, which are not actually nations) have begun building their teams.
Initial team rosters were released all the way back on March 2, just after the trade deadline and long before we knew who the teams playing for the Stanley Cup would be - but those rosters were not yet completed.