Speculation: 2020-21 Season Rumors and Facts Thread

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Thought I would start a dedicated thread to the 2021/22 season rather than tidbits posted in various threads all over the Taylor Hall Forum HF Oil Forum.

Might as well start with this thread from David Pagnotta which resulted from a radio interview by Bill Foley owner of the VGK who dropped some unintended hints as to when and how the league might be making next season viable.

As I said in a different thread it sounds like they will incorporate baseball style "series" of games to reduce travel and increase the frequency of games so as to complete as many games as possible.

With the border closure a Canadian division may be a reality at least to start the season. If Ontario enforces the no body checking mandate for the OHL, then the NHL cannot operate in Ontario so do they move the 2 Ontario teams to QC until Ontario grows a brain? Do they simply put all 7 teams into US cities until the border opens up? (Van-SJ/Cal/Ana-Edm/Phx-Wpg/Min-Tor/Buf-Ott/Long Island-Mon/Flo for example?)

The season has to end in May as the NHL and NHLPA are on record as not wanting to go up against the Olympics in August.

If they start Feb 1 they need 18 games per month to complete 72 which is about where they stopped last season in order to complete the 2 month play-off grind before the end of July. It is possible and with the NHL talking about 60 games they can do 15 games per month easily.

The question is if the players will be paid a pro-rated amount of their salary or their full salary. Friedman was saying that this was not discussed in the MOU return to play agreement and needs to be hammered out. Apparently the NHLPA says nothing less than full salary is a non starter, while many owners are saying it has to be pro-rated. If they cant figure this out any schedule talk about next season is a moot point as there wont be a next season.

Lots of balls in the air, the biggest of which is of course Covid and the containment of the virus which is the biggest threat to the season.

Click to read more...

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

One question is if they go with a Canadian division, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton have their AHL teams in the USA. They would probably have to mirror the Canadian division in the AHL for 1 season as well and relocate the AHL teams into Canada, otherwise there is no way it works.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

I have two words.


Taylor




Hall.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

In all seriousness however, a Canadian team division makes sense especially since the Feds are unlikely to switch tact on this virus.

An interesting option that a buddy of mine discussed was moving each NHL team to their AHL franchise's barn so they could all play in the States. However, it would be an arduous undertaking and would likely isolate some players from their families. Also not every AHL franchise plays in the same part of the country as their parent clubs (i.e. Vancouver's AHL team is in Utica, NY). Additionally, the Leafs and Canadiens AHL teams are in Canada. Even the Leafs ECHL team is Canadian.

 

[bone]

One question is if they go with a Canadian division, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton have their AHL teams in the USA. They would probably have to mirror the Canadian division in the AHL for 1 season as well and relocate the AHL teams into Canada, otherwise there is no way it works.

There won't be AHL is my guess. They might do some mini-farm cohort to at least get some games (say Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary set up a quasi-bubble (ie. not as restrictive as the NHL playoff bubble was, more of a cohort type arrangement) in Kelowna where the teams practice and only play each other). But a season proper I don't think can happen for them.

I don't think MLB ran its minor leagues and basically only did intra-squad games for call-up players.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I have two words.


Taylor




Hall.

Triggered.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

There won't be AHL is my guess. They might do some mini-farm cohort to at least get some games (say Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary set up a quasi-bubble (ie. not as restrictive as the NHL playoff bubble was, more of a cohort type arrangement) in Kelowna where the teams practice and only play each other). But a season proper I don't think can happen for them.

I don't think MLB ran its minor leagues and basically only did intra-squad games for call-up players.

Good point. Without fans I am not sure the AHL is viable unless the parent NHL clubs completely underwrite the cost of operations and salaries this coming year, which they might given that many NHL teams cant afford to lose a year of development.

I would try to get to a few Condors games in Edmonton once they started allowing fans in, if they brought them to Edmonton and fans were restricted from full attendance to WHL and NHL games.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Gregor sees it as a 48 or 60 Game schedule with 4 divisions, 3 in the US and 1 in Canada of only divisional play to lessen the costs, travel and Covid risk playing out a string of 2 teams x 2 games series in 4 game road trips and vice versa at home.

 

[bone]

Good point. Without fans I am not sure the AHL is viable unless the parent NHL clubs completely underwrite the cost of operations and salaries this coming year, which they might given that many NHL teams cant afford to lose a year of development.

I would try to get to a few Condors games in Edmonton once they started allowing fans in, if they brought them to Edmonton and fans were restricted from full attendance to WHL and NHL games.

The parent clubs will have enough trouble paying the bills to keep the NHL running that they won't want to eat all of those costs as well. Maybe teams just keep their prospects in situations overseas, and the NHL runs expanded rosters with a "practice squad" like football where they can bring 5-7 players into their group for practices but not have them count towards the cap, nor would they be eligible to play unless a regular roster spot opens for them. The problem with that is teams will want their best prospects playing so the Adam Cracknell's or Alan Quine's of the roster would be the guys on these "practice squads". Edmonton has several guys at forward that would work for this, but they'd have to sign some 27 year old AHL defensemen as well as they are a little shy there.

The biggest concern with that is teams could exploit it for cap circumvention "demoting" guys that are waiver exempt on non-game days and "calling them up" for game day, so the league would likely put some restrictions around these activities.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

The parent clubs will have enough trouble paying the bills to keep the NHL running that they won't want to eat all of those costs as well. Maybe teams just keep their prospects in situations overseas, and the NHL runs expanded rosters with a "practice squad" like football where they can bring 5-7 players into their group for practices but not have them count towards the cap, nor would they be eligible to play unless a regular roster spot opens for them. The problem with that is teams will want their best prospects playing so the Adam Cracknell's or Adam Quine's of the roster would be the guys on these "practice squads".

The biggest concern with that is teams could exploit it for cap circumvention "demoting" guys that are waiver exempt on non-game days and "calling them up" for game day, so the league would likely put some restrictions around these activities.

Yeah I heard speculative talk around possible expanded rosters like they did for the bubble on a podcast last week.

That would make the most sense. I wonder if teams would keep their top prospects playing in Europe and using established AHL vets as the taxi squad.

 

[bone]

Yeah I heard speculative talk around possible expanded rosters like they did for the bubble on a podcast last week.

That would make the most sense. I wonder if teams would keep their top prospects playing in Europe and using established AHL vets as the taxi squad.

I would. Does putting a 20 year old Bouchard or 19 year old Broberg in the pressbox or practice squad get them any closer to playing in the NHL? Doubtful.

It's a tougher question on guys like Marody who's now 23 or Benson at 22 who'd likely would have been pencilled in for 10-20 games this year, but ultimately the better long term option is using those 25-27 year olds who have proven themselves capable at AHL looking for their last couple shots at the NHL. If they don't make it in these circumstances, they'd likely be heading to europe or permanent AHL employment anyways so no loss on the investment.

 

[Darkwinter]

So how many games a week would the oilers play next season?

 

[Mav3rick07]

I like our chances of making the playoffs better in the weak Pacific Division than the Canadian Divison.

I want no part of Toronto and Winnipeg in our Division. I feel like those two teams would be very difficult opponents for us.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

So how many games a week would the oilers play next season?

My guess is once they get rolling 4 games a week on average.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I like our chances of making the playoffs better in the weak Pacific Division than the Canadian Divison.

I want no part of Toronto and Winnipeg in our Division. I feel like those two teams would be very difficult opponents for us.

I’d love to see McDavid dummy the Leafs 6 times in a year.

 

[bone]

I like our chances of making the playoffs better in the weak Pacific Division than the Canadian Divison.

I want no part of Toronto and Winnipeg in our Division. I feel like those two teams would be very difficult opponents for us.

Lose Vegas, Phoenix, LA, Anaheim, San Jose gain Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Definitely harder overall but Vegas is the best team out the nine teams listed, so I don't think it's that drastic.

Put it another way, Edmonton would be hard pressed to finish first above Vegas, but they had a better record than all of the other Canadian teams, so they could be well positioned to have a good tight run at first?

 

[McShogun99]

I like our chances of making the playoffs better in the weak Pacific Division than the Canadian Divison.

I want no part of Toronto and Winnipeg in our Division. I feel like those two teams would be very difficult opponents for us.

With no fans Toronto won’t have home ice advantage when they play us in Edmonton. Winnipeg is always a tough matchup for us. Vancouver might have got worse this offseason and Calgary did also unless Markstrom can save them. I think we’ll be one of the top teams in the Canadian Division.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

 

[Del Preston]

Of course it was Bill Foley who leaked the division info.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Apparently the new RTP committee has their first meeting next week but it’s apparent from Foley that after the BoG meeting the owners feel a Canadian division will be a strong and maybe an only option.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Soundwave]

So we're supposed to play the same Canadian teams over and over again 60 times?

I'm sorry, but that is really stupid.

 

[bellagiobob]

So we're supposed to play the same Canadian teams over and over again 60 times?

I'm sorry, but that is really stupid.

Not perfect, but better than not playing at all. Would be a one off, and would be fun playing the Flames 8 or 9 times, same with the Canucks, Leafs and Habs. Likely be heated rivalries that develop, which would be good entertainment for the fans. I would prefer to watch Oilers-Flames that many times vs some random EC team I don't care bout. For one season anyhow.

 

[Soundwave]

Not perfect, but better than not playing at all. Would be a one off, and would be fun playing the Flames 8 or 9 times, same with the Canucks, Leafs and Habs. Likely be heated rivalries that develop, which would be good entertainment for the fans. I would prefer to watch Oilers-Flames that many times vs some random EC team I don't care bout. For one season anyhow.

It's not great for any of the Pacific teams ... for years we get hammered by San Jose, LA, Anaheim, etc. now that its our turn to beat up on them we get thrown into a Canadian division where that's not an option.

That's not good for us really.

I want to make the playoffs, not indulge in dumb regular season rivalries.

 

[Soundwave]

The 14 day quarantine rule is ridiculous for people getting tested daily also, I understand it for general purpose travellers but requiring 14 full days for someone who's being regularly tested and can be contact traced easily is silly.