NHL: 3 huge differences in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs

This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are going to be quite different from the NHL’s previous postseasons.

There are obviously huge glaring differences with this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, such as the addition of eight other NHL teams, empty arenas, and hub cities. However, the differences go deeper than this.

The fundamental way that the postseason is traditionally played will not be on display this year and we are in store for a completely new and unique postseason. Here are three big differences in this year’s postseason.

Fully healthy rosters

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The NHL season is an 82-game season grind in which players’ bodies are put through hell, only to be thrown into the playoffs where the intensity ramps up to a whole new level. Players rarely play with healthy bodies and have to learn to fight through a variety of injuries on the quest for the Stanley Cup.

However this time around, everyone will be healthy. Most teams played around 70 games before the season went on pause on March 12. Players have had months to recover and regain strength. Everyone was stuck at home and training and many of them are stronger than they’ve ever been before.

Rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes talked about this pause and said “I feel really strong now and think that I can perform better in the playoffs now than I would have three and a 1/2 months ago.” (NHL.com) Having everyone back and stronger than ever will be fascinating to watch in the playoffs.

Sloppiness will be rampant

Many players were unable to find ice time during the season pause which is a huge deal for hockey players. Strength training is one thing, but skill-specific training on the ice is crucial for players to keep the rust off.

The biggest reason why the NHL is so fast nowadays is that there is no break for the players. Once their season is over, they’re off to specialty coaches to continue training and getting better. Many players skate throughout the entire summer and enter the training camp fresh. This time around, that’s not possible. Players have been allowed to train on ice in small groups but only for a short amount of time.

Brad Marchand talked about the rust back in April and said that younger teams will have an easier time getting back into the rhythm than older teams. Age will be a huge factor in this year’s postseason and older teams like the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks will be at a major disadvantage.

Older players will be affected as well as goaltenders. Goalie Darcy Kuemper said that he will have to basically relearn everything after being away from the ice for months. Being away from NHL shots for so long will be a huge problem and it will take more than a two-week training camp to get back into action. This year’s postseason will feature a ton of goals just because goalies need time to readjust.

COVID-19

NHL players are allowed to opt-out of this year’s playoffs as long as they do so before July 7th. We have already seen a big star in the MLB, David Price, choosing to sit this season out and many players on the St. Louis Blues have tested positive. It would not be a shock to see players with pre-existing medical conditions or young families choosing to hold out this year because of the danger the virus poses.

What if a star player gets it right before Game 7? What if there’s an outbreak? What will the mental toll be on the players when they’re isolated from their friends and families for so long? There are so many questions that no one can answer and that’s what makes this year’s playoffs so different.