How the 2020-21 NHL season would look under the normal alignment

The NHL is approaching the midway mark of the 2020-21 season.

As the year progresses, people begin to peek at the standings and theorize potential matchups. Fans will have either been let down by now, or they will be feeling optimistic about their team. The 202021 NHL season, of course, looks very unique, but what would it look like if we were still in the normal Division and Stanley Cup Playoffs alignment?

Which teams’ outlooks would be different in the typical format? Which teams on the outside might have a better shot under the old model, and which contenders would we be calling into question?

Obviously, each team is only playing a handful of teams this year, so it is not a perfect comparison. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to wonder how the season might be shaping up had this been a normal season. It can also be a good indicator of what is to come for teams once the NHL returns to a more usual state.

How would the NHL standings look if this season followed the normal format?

Looking at the standings generally, only one of the current division leaders would be division leaders in the previous format. With that said, 15/16 teams that would qualify for the postseason today based on points would currently be in a position to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs under last year’s alignment as well.

The Boston Bruins would be the team slated to make the Playoffs if the season ended today that would not be in that position if we were in a normal season. The LA Kings would be the team getting in instead.

To make it all easier to visualize, let’s break things down by division. Here is where each team would stand if the 2020-21 NHL season was played under the usual alignment in a normal season.

Metropolitan Division

The Metro isn’t overly difficult to picture, as it looks a lot like the current East Division. The most notable impact is at the top, where the Carolina Hurricanes, currently sitting in first place in the 2021 version of the Central Division, would hold a lead over the current East leader, the New York Islanders. The only other change is at the bottom, where the Buffalo Sabres are substituted in this year for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

1. Carolina Hurricanes (19-6-1, 39 points)

2. New York Islanders (17-6-4, 38 points)

3. Washington Capitals (16-6-4, 36 points)

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (16-9-1, 33 points)

5. Philadelphia Flyers (13-8-3, 29 points)

6. Columbus Blue Jackets (10-12-6, 26 points)

7. New York Rangers (11-12-3, 25 points)

8. New Jersey Devils (8-12-3, 19 points)

This alignment would have the Canes, Isles, and Washington Capitals currently in Playoff positions, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers would be wild card candidates (we’ll see where they would stand after assessing the Atlantic Division in a moment).

My key takeaway here is that the Hurricanes are having a really strong season. The Canes would be the Metro leaders, even with a game in hand over the second-place Islanders. That even comes after playing in a Central Division that has more balance than many thought it would have, thanks to strong seasons from the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks. Keep a close eye on the Hurricanes as this season rolls ahead.

Central Division

The normal Central Division also brings three 2021 divisions together. Unlike the Eastern Conference divisions, though, this division houses no current division leaders, making the Winnipeg Jets the frontrunner. The Dallas Stars would reside in last place due to a lack of games played, but the only teams here with a sub-.500 point percentage are the Nashville Predators and the aforementioned Stars.

1. Winnipeg Jets (16-8-2, 34 points)

2. St. Louis Blues (14-8-5, 33 points)

3. Minnesota Wild (16-8-1, 33 points)

4. Chicago Blackhawks (14-9-5, 33 points)

5. Colorado Avalanche (15-8-2, 32 points)

6. Nashville Predators (11-15-1, 23 points)

7. Dallas Stars (8-9-5, 21 points)

The St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild would join Winnipeg in the division’s top three and would be slated for a Playoff date, just as they are currently as members of the West Division. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche would be postseason candidates as potential wild card clubs.

My biggest takeaway here is the fact that the Avs need to start finding better results. Now, by no means do I think it is panic time for the team that I picked to win the Stanley Cup this season, but Colorado would be the last team into the Playoffs right now, no matter the format. There is plenty of time for the Avalanche to hit its highest gear, but it is worth pointing out that this group is not comfortably in a postseason spot by any stretch of the imagination. I expect that to change, but at some point reality has to mirror those expectations.

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division, comprised mostly of the current West Division while including a few North Division teams, would not be very strong. The Edmonton Oilers would lead the division based on points, but based on point percentage, the Vegas Golden Knights would clearly be the class of this division. Overall, this division would essentially be Vegas, Edmonton, and the average to below average teams from the North and West.

1. Edmonton Oilers (18-11-0, 36 points)

2. Vegas Golden Knights (17-6-1, 35 points)

3. Los Angeles Kings (11-9-6, 28 points)

4. Arizona Coyotes (12-11-4, 28 points)

5. Vancouver Canucks (12-16-2, 26 points)

6. Calgary Flames (12-12-3, 27 points)

7. San Jose Sharks (10-11-3, 23 points)

8. Anaheim Ducks (8-14-6, 22 points)

Vegas and Edmonton would be joined in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by Los Angeles, the only team that would directly benefit in terms of a postseason berth from a switch back to the normal alignment. No other team here would reach the postseason, as even the Kings have fewer points than the Central’s wild card teams.

My takeaway here is that we would view every one of these teams more positively in this alignment. The Golden Knights would probably be on track to win the Presidents’ Trophy with as weak as this division would be, the Kings and Coyotes would be battling for that third spot instead of fighting an uphill battle to reach number four in the West, and the Canucks and Flames would be in postseason contention, rather than feeling like they’re miles away in the North. That doesn’t actually make any of these clubs better, but our perceptions would carry a more optimistic tone.

The NHL is anything but normal in 2021, but this is a taste of what it could look like if it was. Soon this is how we will view the NHL again, but for now, it is simply a what-if scenario on the anniversary of a week that altered the entire sports landscape.