At long last, the NHL has said they plan to start regular season play - likely featuring a 52 or 56-game schedule - in mid-January.
Things are going to look much different in 2020-21, as COVID-19 has forced the league to re-align its four divisions due to self isolation rules and travel restrictions dictated by the pandemic.
With travel between Canada and the U.S. out of the question, an all-Canadian division - Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadians, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets - will be created to allow teams to play their games in Canada.
Although rosters figure to change in the month or so before the 2020-21 season begins, here's a look at the power rankings of each Canadian team prior to the start of play in January.
#1 Toronto Maple Leafs
This past offseason the Leafs unloaded finesse, then added grit and experience.
That grit comes in the form of hulking right-handed defenseman Zach Bogosian, a recent Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After waving goodbye to right-hand defenseman Tyson Barrie, who was a bust during his time in Leafland, they inked free agent D T.J. Brodie to a contract. They then added RW Wayne Simmonds, LW Jimmy Vesey and veteran centre Joe Thornton.
With a better mix of talent and grit - remember, the Leafs already have Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander up front along with some exciting young players - Toronto figures to reside at the top of the division, provided the new mix allows everyone to play up to their full potential. After all, games aren't played on paper, they're played on the ice.
#2 Edmonton Oilers
There's little doubt that Connor McDavid and his mates want to redeem themselves after bowing out meekly to the Chicago Black Hawks in the 2019-20 playoffs.
Naturally, McDavid and his uber-talented running mate, Leon Draisaitl, will produce. To help them out, GM Ken Holland added offensive D Tyson Barrie to quarterback the Oilers already lethal power play and move the puck more quickly. He also brought in C Kyle Turris from Nashville and brought back forward Jesse Puljujarvi, a former first round pick, back from Finland.
Question is, can Mikko Koskinen and the aging Mike Smith provide a consistently high level of goaltending? If they do - and the new additions slot in well with the Oilers fine group of young players (F Kyler Yamamoto, D Ethan Bear and D Caleb Jones) and established players (forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zack Kassian and James Neal) then the Oilers could be a force.
#3 Calgary Flames
To be honest, there's not much to choose between the Oilers and Flames; the Oilers get the edge because they have two of the world's best players in their line-up.
That said, the Flames did an admirable job of shoring up their roster in the off-season, adding well-rounded D Chris Tanev via free agency while snatching away free agent G Jacob Markstrom from the Vancouver Canucks.
Long story short, Calgary figures to be much better defensively in 2020-21 with Markstrom in net and Tanev blocking shots and making life miserable for opposing forwards; they also added D Alex Petrovic as well. Should the Flames' talented forward group (Gaudreau, Monahan, Tkachuk, Lindholm, et al) produce to their normal level, Calgary will be formidable.
#4 Montreal Canadians
The surprise team of the 2019-20 playoffs, the Canadians young talent - centres Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki - shone, while established veterans upped their game and played inspired hockey.
Still, there were holes in the roster, but GM Marc Bergevin addressed them in the off-season, adding G Jake Allen to back up Carey Price in net, D Joel Edmundson and wingers Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson.
With a better defense and a more rested Price in net - and a deeper, bigger and more talented group of forwards - the Canadians figure to pick up where they left off in the playoffs.
#5 Winnipeg Jets
Last year, the Jets struggled with injuries and the loss of four key defenseman - Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chariot.
Yet, despite those losses and a boatload of injuries, they still made the playoffs, riding the stellar goaltending of 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, to a wildcard berth. After showing so much character, they then bowed out meekly to the Calgary Flames in the first round due to another rash of injuries.
Still, the Jets have Hellebuyck - and a talented group of forwards that includes Scheifele, RW Blake Wheeler, lethal LW Kyle Connor and sniper Patrik Laine. Centre Paul Stastny, who gelled well with Laine and speedy winger Nik Ehlers during the Jets playoff run in 2017-18, was a savvy off-season add by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.
Simply put, the Jets' weakness is their defense. While they're a mobile group, holdovers Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo and Tucker Poolman lack size and physicality. Though free agent add Derek Forbort adds size to the group, the Jets still need to add another physical defenseman or two to inject an element of toughness into their defense corps.
If they don't, it's likely Hellebuyck will again have to play out of his mind for the Jets to make the playoffs.
#6 Vancouver Canucks
To put it bluntly, the Canucks went backward during the off-season, losing both team G Jacob Markstrom and their best all-around defenseman, Chris Tanev, to the Calgary Flames via free agency.
GM Jim Benning filled Markstrom's hole in net with former Washington netminder Braden Holtby, who's coming off a sub-par 2019-20 season. They also added D Nate Schmidt, who should add some offense from the back end.
Now, Benning is counting on G Thatcher Demko to deliver the same otherworldly goaltending he provided in the playoffs, while hoping that young stars - C Elias Pettersson, RW Brock Boeser, LW Bo Horvat and D Quinn Hughes - will continue to improve. Meanwhile, he's also hoping (perhaps in vain) that center J.T. Miller can reprise a career-high 72-point season.
With questions in goal and on defense - and pressure on Vancouver's young group of forwards to carry the team - it's unlikely the Canucks will reach the heights they did in 2019-20.
#7Ottawa Senators
Without question, the young Senators figure to be exciting to watch during the coming season.
However, with youth comes inevitable growing pains. While the talented young Sens figure to score a lot of goals, they also figure to let in a bunch, too, as they learn their trade.
Still, they will steal their fair share of games with former Penguin Matt Murray in net, Thomas Chabot on defense and the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Colin White and Evgeny Dadonov on forward (along with lots of young up-and comers). And while time is in the Sens' side, it won't be their time for another year, or two.
What's the bottom line here? The all-Canadian division is loaded with talent and is going to be exciting to watch. Which teams will dazzle and which will fizzle? Only time will tell.
