These guys are pro athletes at peak performance. Crazy to suggest a few casual skates in September will make these guys tired to start the season/into the season
They weren't just casual skates. Per this article from Spector, straight from McDavid:
How long did it take Connor McDavid to get over losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final? He’ll let you know when it happens.
www.sportsnet.ca
“Definitely, last year taught us that you can't win the Cup in September and October. But you can certainly put yourself in a tough spot.”
“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” he said. “In years past, it's just been very volume heavy, Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. That strategy, as well as it's worked for me, I think about the beginning of last year.
“I was just very tired and fatigued from a long summer of training, and was not feeling very good on the ice. And it translated.”
The lesson?
“You don't necessarily need to peak Sept. 18, but you need to peak for Oct. 9 when the first game is,” he said. “This summer I took some time off the ice, rested a little bit. I was working hard off the ice, but I didn't go on the ice until August. Five great weeks on the ice, and I'm feeling good and ready to roll again.”