A complicated return to play situation has the NHL drawing up creative plans to ensure a mid-January regular season start.
Expanded taxi squad rosters, four hub cities, and, most interestingly, a one-year realignment are among possible solutions to help the league pull off the 2020-21 season amid the challenges brought by COVID-19 and border restrictions.
Though key issues like an official start date, season length, the choosing of venues, and realignment have not been confirmed, the league is expected to open an abbreviated 56-game regular season on Jan. 13, 2021. Teams are expected to be reshuffled into four divisions based on geography, limiting travel.
The Rangers won’t be competing in the standard Metropolitan Division. A proposed realignment would place the Blueshirts in mostly familiar company – with the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres joining the division and the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets exiting.
Division A: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals
Division B: Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning
Division C (All-Canadian): Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets
Division D: Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights
Between 1982 and 1993, the old Patrick Division hosted the Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Flyers, Penguins and Capitals. Swapping in the “Original Six” Bruins and 1970 expansion Sabres to replace the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets gives the yet-to-be-named division an old-timey feel.
On paper, that’s a very competitive, mean-looking division. Last season, the Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, and Penguins were four of the five best teams in the Eastern Conference by points percentage. The Bruins are a powerhouse, the Flyers are a heavyweight, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still one of the league’s best one-two punches, the Islanders nearly made it to last season’s Stanley Cup Final, and oh… that Henrik Lundqvist guy will be suiting up for Washington now.
Even the Sabres and Devils, who failed to qualify for the expanded 2020 playoffs, appear improved. The additions of Taylor Hall and Eric Staal could really propel Buffalo forward, while the combination of developing youth and the acquisitions of Corey Crawford, Andreas Johnsson, and Ryan Murray (and don’t discount the possibility of a P.K. Subban bounce-back) should make the Devils a tougher outfit.
There’s really going to be no let-up night after night. While the Rangers possess an exciting stable of promising young talents, they’re in for a big challenge because of the strength of their newly-realigned divisional foes.
Follow Sean Hartnett on Twitter: @HartnettHockey
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