Breaking down all the latest news, rumors, reports surrounding 2020-21 NHL season

NHL Division Realignment

One of the most talked about aspects of the 2020-21 NHL season has been Division Realignment, and that is a reality we will all get used to once it has been confirmed by the league.

We’ve looked at the countless different forms the NHL could take on with each Division mixed up and shaken about, and you can read some of those pieces below:

• Flyers, Penguins could be split up in proposed Realignment
• 3 teams that will benefit, 3 teams that will suffer from Realignment
• NHL Realignment would enhance importance of rivalries

Of course, how these new-look Divisions could look has changed on countless occasions, and there are still tweaks to be made according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Speaking of LeBrun, this is the latest from the respected NHL Insider on how the four Divisions could look after Realignment:

So, per LeBrun, these are the proposed Realigned NHL Divisions in full for the 2020-21 season:

• Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals.
• Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights.
• Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets.

Again, it is important to note that these Divisions are likely to change and Pierre has already reported that the NHL and the Board of Governors are already working on changes to that proposed Realignment.

However, that is the rough template and there is a lot to get excited about when it comes to potential matchups.

I mean, with teams expected to play each team in their own Division eight or nine times, we will be treated to a boatload of Hudson River showdowns between the Rangers and the Devils, some Original Six clashes between the Bruins and the Rangers, eight or nine tussles between the Penguins and the Flyers, a feast of clash of the titans battles between the loaded Avs and the juggernaut that is the Golden Knights and much more.

Basically, in what will be a weird and different-looking season anyway, Division Realignment has the potential to add more spice to a shortened season that will ensure every single game has extra meaning to it.

And we’re all in for it.

It is also expected that teams will play a series of games in the same place in order to reduce travel, as they do in Major League Baseball.

That certainly makes a lot of sense and is exactly why the NHL is proceeding with Division Realignment in the first place.

COVID-19 Precautions

As great as it is that the NHL is on the cusp of a triumphant return, the threat of COVID-19 always looms large over every single facet of life.

Sports is no exception and that is probably why reports have started swirling that the NHL would be interested in securing a private batch of the COVID-19 vaccine and administering it to players.

That would obviously solve a major headache for the NHL in that if players, coaching staff and other support / front office staff all have the vaccine, then it would mean no postponements of games due to COVID-19.

With the NHL hoping to have a Stanley Cup Champion awarded by no later than July 15 due to the Tokyo Olympics beginning on NBC on July 23, postponements and natural issues caused by the Pandemic could cause major problems.

Of course, there aren’t enough vaccines to go around currently for those who really need them and, per John Shannon, a renowned hockey journalist in Canada, the NHL is adamant that they would not jump to the front of the line ahead of those who really need it.

Basically, they will wait and, if a vaccine becomes available for private purchase, then they will make their interest known but they will not take it out of the hands of those who need it more.

That would be an incredibly bad look and it would create a PR nightmare that the NHL needs to avoid.

So, in liu of a vaccine for players right now, the 2020-21 season will be fraught with challenges caused directly by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Chief among them is schedule flexibility with the NHL probably needing to set a week or two aside at the end of the regular season for any games postponed due to COVID-19.

Also, with teams expected to play in their own arenas and therefore travel for road games, although travel will be dramatically cut down due to Division Realignment, what will will the testing procedure look like?

We’ve seen both in MLB and in the NFL that travel only helps to spread COVID-19 and cause major outbreaks, so the NHL will need to have a bullet proof plan in place when it comes to testing each team throughout the 2020-21 season.

It is expected that the NHL will draw up a list of hotels for teams to stay in with the hope that staying in the same hotels will eradicate some of the risk that comes with travel in the age of a Pandemic.

Other Issues

Let’s now quickly round up a list of other potential issues facing the NHL prior to the start of the 2020-21 season on Jan. 13, 2021.

Key Dates 

How will a shortened season impact some of the most important dates on the NHL calendar? We are of course talking about the Trade Deadline, which normally happens at the midway point of the season. With only 56 games being played, when will the Trade Deadline take place and will it be impacted by COVID-19 in regards to players travelling to a new team and then having to quarantine?

That, and also dates for Free Agency and the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, are all currently being worked on and then you also have the small matter of the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft with the Seattle Kraken set to enter the league in 2021-22.

The above alone hammers home the point just how much work the NHL has to do before a puck is even dropped on Jan. 13, 2021.

Expanded Rosters

As we saw during the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Expanded Rosters and Taxi Squads are likely given the issues facing each team due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

If a bunch of players go down with the virus at once, then teams will need standby players nearby in order to call them up and put them straight on to the roster, but it is an issue still currently being worked on by the NHLPA.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

Will the Stanley Cup Playoffs look different in 2021? Will they be played inside two Bubbles again as they were in 2019-20?

To answer simply, they will more than likely look different in 2021 but exactly how is anyone’s guess at this point, coupled with the fact that a lot could change between now and April.

We do know that, per a Pierre LeBrun report on Oct. 10, the NHL will likely adopt a straight Divisional Playoff format for the 2020-21 season only, with the top seed playing the No. 4 seed, the No. 2 seed taking on the No. 3 seed in each Division and so on.

Those changes are likely because of the ongoing border issues but the NHL will likely play it by ear in relation to the Stanley Cup Playoffs due to their hope that fans will be allowed back in the stands come postseason time.

Players Opting Out

Players were allowed to opt-out during the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs if they were uncomfortable with playing during a Pandemic, and that is again expected to be the case for the 2020-21 season.

Whether players will still get paid if they decide to opt-out is still being worked on, among other related issues, but it is expected that the option to opt-out will be available for individuals who aren’t comfortable with playing this year.

Relocation 

While Division Realignment will help to solve travel to a certain extent, there is another problem that could rear its ugly head.

As we saw in Major League Baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays and as we are seeing in the NFL right now with the San Francisco 49ers and in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors, some NHL teams may have to relocate if certain states impose restrictions that prevent sports from happening in that particular state.

It has already impacted the San Jose Sharks after Santa Clara County banned contact sports for three weeks, meaning that the Sharks had to put an immediate stop to informal workouts.

However, it is expected that the NHL will have a number of contingency plans in place to deal with that issue should it arise, including moving teams to other NHL arenas nearby on a temporary basis.

Overall, there is a lot still to do and a lot of issues still to face, but the NHL is on the brink of a return and hopefully this guide will help get you up to speed ahead of puck drop on the 2020-21 season on Jan. 13, 2021.