Division-by-division look at NHL
The have a look.
There will be a shorter season (56 games), realignment designed to limit travel amid the coronavirus pandemic and solely intradivisional play.
The highlights are a regional setup that includes a North Division of all the Canadian teams and a Stanley Cup Final matchup that can be the East vs. East (or West vs. West) because the teams are reseeded in the third round regardless of division or traditional conference.
Our USA TODAY Sports experts predict that the Colorado Avalanche will lead the league in points, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs leading their respective divisions. The all-Canada division seems to be the most competitive. 2021 NHL season will (temporarily) different
Scotia NHL North Division
The Maple Leafs will benefit from the arrival of defenseman T.J. Brodie and a full season of coach Sheldon Keefe. Plus, Boston and Tampa Bay are no longer in the division. ... The Flames are two seasons removed from a division title and have a strong mix of players and now they have a solid goaltender in Jacob Markstrom. .... The Canadiens were one of the busiest teams in the offseason and could be the most improved, especially if Nick Suzuki builds on his playoff performance. ... Recent MVPs Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid will provide the Oilers with plenty of offense, but there’s not much depth behind them and Ryan NugentHopkins. Defenseman Tyson Barrie will be motivated on a one-year contract. ... The Canucks lost too many players in the offseason, including Markstrom. They’ll have to hope that Braden Holtby regains his form or Thatcher Demko shows his playoff form. ... Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. They’ll be counting again on the player who faced the most shots the past two seasons. ... The Senators’ offseason moves give them improved forward depth and goaltending, but they’re still the weak link in the division.
– Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports
MassMutual NHL East Division
After losing Torey Krug and captain Zdeno Chara in free agency, the Bruins have major holes to fill on defense. But the NHL’s best regular-season team from last season still has its high-powered top line with Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand and a deep collection of role players. … Henrik Lundqvist’s announcement that he’ll have open-heart surgery puts the pressure on Ilya Samsonov to shoulder the load as the No. 1 goalie, but the 2018 Stanley Cup champs have kept their lineup mostly intact and have veteran coach Peter Laviolette on the bench. … The Flyers are on the upswing under Alain Vigneault. They lack star power but have depth, versatility and grit, not to mention one of the best young
goalies in the league in Carter Hart. … Analytics paint the Is
as a middle-of-thepack team, but no team in the division went as far as their conference finals run during the summer restart. Their defense was lock-down and they could still grind out wins in tight games, particularly if rookie goalie Ilya Sorokin delivers. … Will the addition of Kasperi Kapanen give an aging roster a jolt? The Penguins will need it, plus some vintage performances from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Rangers are led by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad and two Calder Trophy candidates in goalie Igor Shesterkin and No. 1 pick Alexis Lafrenière. But with what is expected to be the youngest roster in the league is probably a year or two away from seriously contending. … It sure will be interesting to see how star Sabres center Jack Eichel meshes with free agent addition Taylor Hall. Regardless, there are just too many holes in their bottom six, on defense and in net. … The Devils’ top-six forwards are intriguing, especially if 2019 No. 1 pick Jack Hughes is ready to take the next step, and the goalie tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Corey Crawford should be pretty good. But the hiring of Lindy Ruff as head coach was a head-scratcher for a team relying on inexperienced players.
– Vince Mercogliano, The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News