We finally have a potential start date for the upcoming NHL season. This has generated a lot of speculation as to how the NHL will pull it off in terms of logistics. We here at Last Word on Hockey will continue to bring you the latest news surrounding the start of the NHL season and what it will look like. In today’s edition of NHL rumours, we will first analyze a general manager who could be tapped as the head of Canada’s next Olympic roster. Then we will dive into the possibility of hub cities returning to the NHL. And finally, we will analyze yet another possible division realignment.
NHL Rumours:
Team Canada
Rumour: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that Doug Armstrong will be asked to return as the general manager for Canada’s 2022 Olympic team.
Analysis: As the man who assembled the first Stanley Cup-winning roster in St. Louis Blues history, it should come as no surprise that Doug Armstrong is at the top of the list for Team Canada. Widely considered one of the NHL’s top general managers at the moment, Armstrong has proven himself to be very capable of constructing a roster that can contend. While playing on the world stage is certainly different from North America, Armstrong is well suited for the task.
This is not Armstrong’s first foray into international hockey. In fact, he has a rich history of success there. Armstrong won gold medals as a part of Team Canada’s front office at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. In 2007 and 2016, he was also a part of Canada’s management group for the IIHF World Championships where they won gold. His history of success has led to him being an easy choice to lead the new Team Canada. Some may say Armstrong’s NHL reputation is strong. I would argue his stature in international hockey rises far above that of his NHL tenure.
Hub Cities
Rumour: According to TSN’s Frank Seravalli via the Insider Trading segment, the NHL will use hub cities as a backup plan in case the league can’t use all 31 cities to play games in.
Analysis: The NHL experimented with hub cities once. Both parties hoped to never do it again. Unfortunately, that may become a reality once more. While this may jump out as a horrific thought to the players, there will be significant modifications to bubble hockey this time around. During this segment of Insider Trading, Frank Seravalli stated that teams would spend no more than two weeks in the bubble at a time.
To be clear, this is the NHL’s backup plan. With the pandemic at an all-time high in the number of cases, cities are implementing stricter restrictions on what people can and cannot do. Contact sports were recently banned in the city of Santa Clara, forcing the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers to play in Arizona. The San Jose Sharks could find themselves in a similar situation. If NHL franchises are forced to shut down their home arenas, the NHL may look into playing in bubbles just to finish the season.
Division Realignment
Rumour: Pierre LeBrun of TSN is reporting that the Minnesota Wild could switch divisions for the 2020-21 NHL season.
As colleague @RussoHockey reported, Minnesota could swap again. Also hear Dallas is a possibility. Could be a few other tweaks. Clearly some governors on Wednesday’s call who weren’t pleased with the temporary divisions as presented. So stay tuned.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 11, 2020
Analysis: With the United States-Canada border closed, it becomes increasingly difficult to see a scenario where the NHL could operate with the usual divisions intact. Earlier in the week, a plan for possible realignment was released which included a Canadian division. The Minnesota Wild were included in the new Central division. They are one of a few teams who are not happy with their placement. The Dallas Stars are also a team seeking a new plan. While it is difficult to please everyone, this is a switch that could realistically happen.
Play will likely be inter-division only. Minnesota is a team that could struggle to contend in the Central division. They could realistically finish third at best, behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The Pacific division is far weaker. Should they have consistent matchups against the California teams, Minnesota could have more favourable positioning in the playoffs. If they move to the Pacific, Minnesota could be a top contender in that division.
That does it for today’s edition of NHL rumours. Be sure to check back for more tomorrow!
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