Aside from a postseason getaway to Cancun, Mexico, and attending friends' weddings "every other weekend," it's been a summer of intense rehab for Tampa Bay Lightning and Team USA goaltender Ben Bishop, who said he's physically and mentally ready to take on the world in the World Cup of Hockey.
From a personal standpoint, Bishop, 29, has plenty of unfinished business to attend to when he and the rest of Team USA report to Columbus, Ohio, for the start of World Cup training camp on Sept. 5.
Injured in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Lightning lost in seven games to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Bishop said his strained ankle ligaments are completely healed, allowing him to hit the ice a month earlier than normal this summer.
Bishop, a 6-foot-7, 216-pound native of Denver, went 8-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in last season's playoffs and is expected to challenge Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and New Jersey Devils netminder Cory Schneider for the starting job with Team USA, which will be coached by Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella.
"I feel good," said Bishop, who was a backup to John Gibson when the U.S. won the bronze medal in the 2013 IIHF Men's World Championship. "I've been doing rehab all summer, and I'm stronger this summer than I was last summer going into camp as far as test results. That's a good thing."
Bishop said he's especially eager to see who will start in goal for the Americans when they open their World Cup pre-tournament schedule with a Sept. 9 game against Canada at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The eight-team tournament starts for real on Sept. 17 in Toronto and ends on Oct. 1.
"It's going to be a little different than NHL exhibition games," Bishop said. "Canada-U.S.? I don't think that's going to be an ease-in process. Exhibition games are going to be a little more intense, especially for goalies who like to slowly get into it. My first game could be against Team Canada, but after practicing for a week and some intrasquad scrimmages, I'm sure I'll be ready."
With eight rosters filled with NHL stars, ESPN.com quizzed Bishop on which World Cup opponents have the best offensive skills in a variety of categories:
Hardest shot: Alex Ovechkin, Russia
"He's got one of the best shots in the game. It's really tough to read off of his stick. He usually comes down on it almost like a knuckle ball. It's tough to read."
Most accurate shot: Steven Stamkos, Canada
"Luckily, he's on my team in Tampa, but I've seen him score a lot of goals. Hopefully I can keep them out if he's shooting against me. I think [Vladimir] Tarasenko from Russia's got one of the best wrist shots in the game. Some guys have a heavy, hard shot and it's got more weight behind it, but a guy like Steven Stamkos has one of the more accurate shots in the game. I don't think it's as hard as others, but he can put it wherever he wants. There's a big difference."
Shootout specialist: T.J. Oshie, United States
"I'm glad he's on my team. Everybody saw what he did in the [2014] Olympics, so it's nice to have a guy like that on your team and not have to go against him. I think Tarasenko is one of the better guys in the league in shootouts. Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby -- those guys can be pretty lethal in a shootout."
Best setup man: Nicklas Backstrom, Sweden
"[He] is one of the better passers in the league, I think. Sidney Crosby, obviously. Those guys stand out, especially Backstrom. The Sedins [Henrik and Daniel], those guys can find each other almost anywhere on the ice. It's hard to pick because every team has great talent. I mean, every team's got two top lines that will be future Hall of Famers."
Speediest forward: Pick a Team North America forward
"I'm just happy I don't have to race up and down the ice with those guys. I'm sure some of those young guns on Team North America [Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin] will be pretty quick. They've got a lot of fresh, young legs -- that's for sure. It's almost all top-10 picks in the last few years and all those players are supposed to be stars in this league. I don't think anybody is going to take them lightly. They have a lot of skill, and they kind of have nothing to lose, so they're going to be one of the more dangerous teams, I believe."
The Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks lead all NHL teams with 12 players competing in the World Cup, and Bishop said the chirping has already begun.
"I'm sure there's going to be lots of friendly fire when we get to Columbus," said Bishop, who will sport a glow-in-the-dark mask for the tournament. "It'll be fun-hearted until we step on the ice, and then it's going to be all business. It's obviously a big tournament, but it's going to be fun to play against your teammates, which doesn't happen too often."
Team USA will begin the tournament in a group with Canada, the Czech Republic and Team Europe, while Group B will consist of Russia, Sweden, Finland and Team North America. The top two finishers in Groups A and B will advance to the semifinals, with the semifinal winners facing off in a best-of-three finals.
"You can't predict," Bishop said. "I think the way the tournament is set up it's going to be fun because I think every team has a legitimate chance to win."