After yesterday’s Board of Governors call, Pierre LeBrun shared a new temporary division realignment plan for the 2020-21 season, which is considered as a primary option by the NHL. You can see the new re-alignment plan in the tweet below, however, as LeBrun added, it’s still not finalized:
Not finalized yet, and still subject to change, but the 2020-21 four-division re-alignment currently looks like this according to sources:
Bos-Buf-NJ-NYI-NYR-Pha-Pgh-Was
Car-CBJ-Det-Chi-Fla-Min-Nas-TB
Ana-Ari-Col-Dal-LA-SJ-STL-VGK
All-Canadian teams
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 9, 2020
Comparing to the previous leaked plan, there’s a few changes: while an all-Canadian division remains the same due to the Canadian border restrictions, some other teams have been moved between the divisions. Instead of the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning will get the Carolina Hurricanes and the Minnesota Wild as a potential opponents.
Let’s take a quick look at how the Lightning performed against those teams during the 2019-20 regular season:
Due to a shortened regular season, the Lightning didn’t play all scheduled games against those teams. Overall the Lightning went 8-5-3 against new potential divisional neighbours, and apparently the Wild were the only team, against which the Lightning couldn’t get any points.
According to the recent information, the NHL is targeting January 13 as the start of the new regular season with the training camps set to open on January 2.
Lightning Links
Forbes presented the list of most valuable NHL teams of 2020 and the Lightning ended up at the 21st place with estimated value of $470 million. According to them the Lightning also posted an operating loss (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $11 million.
Here are the NHL’s most valuable teams of 2020: https://t.co/DriDPJaQsP pic.twitter.com/6bbxEqqyML
— Forbes (@Forbes) December 9, 2020
The Athletic is hosting a Seattle Kraken expansion mock draft and tried to predict what players might be protected by the Lightning and what could be potential candidates for the Kraken [The Athletic]
No matter what plan the Lightning use, the locks up front are Stamkos, Kucherov, Point and Cirelli. You can make an argument for Ondrej Palat, too, especially if he’s a) still on the team and b) there’s not any intriguing progression in Foote. At the very least, you maintain your Norris Trophy/Conn Smythe winning defenseman in Hedman, a future franchise-type defenseman in Sergachev and your best right-shot defenseman in Cernak. So the biggest decision in the 8-1 alignment would be between Palat and a defenseman (Foote or McDonagh).
Phil Pritchard, a keeper of the Cup, has spent some time with the Lightning players and now shared some details of his job in the first episode of Cup Keeper Tales.
Ever wonder what it’s like to be the @keeperofthecup?
Phil Pritchard gives us an inside look in the first episode of Cup Keeper Tales! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wWagIkNxAC
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 9, 2020
A cake for a Champion. Check out the #StanleyCup cake Nikita Kucherov received as a gift. If it tastes as good as it looks….it will be amazing! @TBLightning @NHL @HockeyHallFame pic.twitter.com/cG4hnm462u
— Philip Pritchard (@keeperofthecup) December 9, 2020
The Lightning prospect Gage Goncalves, who is still fighting for the World Juniors spot at Team Canada’s Selection Camp, shared his experience from the camp.
Gage Goncalves on his experience so far at Team Canada’s World Juniors Selection Camp, and how he’s trying to prove that he deserves a spot on the team. pic.twitter.com/zENv8dp4Zf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 9, 2020
The Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon doubts that the fans will be allowed at home games this season
Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon: Fans doubtful at home games this seasonhttps://t.co/Dz0uCyXsyD
— Syracuse Hockey (@syrhockey) December 9, 2020
Meanwhile, the AHL is aiming to hold a 44-game regular season, starting on February 5
Hearing that the AHL’s current target is a 44 game schedule from the previously announced Feb 5 date running through May 30 with games being played only within their division, of which there will be 5 due to an all-Canada division.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) December 10, 2020
