Spring settles in New York. As the snow melts and jackets are retired to the backs of closets, David grows tense with the reminder that the season’s almost over, that, once again, the Islanders won’t make the postseason, will be on the outside looking in.

He gets an email from Dave, a typically curt one that just serves to arrange a time when David will be free to talk tomorrow. David replies with a time an hour before practice — enough time to discuss anything important, a small enough window that David can beg off with prior obligations if Dave gets off-topic, as he does sometimes, asking about David’s life like a few years of being his agent gives him the right to pry.

Dave calls, punctual to the minute, and gets through some compliments about David’s play, notes for improvement that David can’t find fault with, before he gets down to business.

“I don’t know what your plans for the summer are,” Dave says, “but the camp in Toronto’s meeting again. Hell of a wait list already, but they give preference to repeat visitors. You want me to book you a spot?”

David already knew that it was returning; Jake had sent a text the night before with u doin toronto in july? im gonna :), and David figured that must have been what he meant, replied with I don’t know., because it was true.

When it comes down to it, the camp wasn’t the best for him, too abstracted to properly cater to everyone’s distinct needs, and David’s finally found a trainer outside the team whose style he likes. He’s based in New York, will be around all summer, and he knows what David specifically needs.

The best thing for David’s growth, for his career, would be to stick around, especially since Kurmazov is spending the majority of the summer in the city, has three young kids he doesn’t want to uproot. He says it’s bad for them socially, whatever that means. He offered to spend some time working with David, and David wants that, but then, Toronto isn’t until July, and David has yet another empty postseason, the months ahead stretching out to the point of snapping before September.

Even so, he should be staying in New York.

“Sign me up,” he says, and doesn’t think about the reasons why.

*