The NHL resumes its season Saturday with a 24-team, two-hub-city setup during the coronavirus pandemic. Day hockey will be a thing, with the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers starting things at noon ET. Here are the biggest questions entering the restart:
Will this work? Players who advance to the Stanley Cup final will be living a quarantined life for two months. The earliest they can see immediate family is during the conference finals in Edmonton. Major League Baseball has already provided a warning of how things could go wrong when at least 16 Marlins players and two staffers tested positive for COVID-19, postponing games. But the bubble has largely worked in the NWSL and MLS. If there is an outbreak in the NHL, how much will be too much?
Is everyone on an even keel? They say you should throw out the regular season once the playoffs begin. That’s how Columbus was able to sweep the record-tying Tampa Bay Lightning in last season’s first round. But that saying is even more true this season. The four-and-a-half-month hiatus is longer than a normal NHL off-season, and teams had a short training camp and one exhibition game to work out the rust. Lucky bounces could play a big role in the best-of-five qualifying-round series. Once the regular, four-round playoffs begin, talent differences could play a bigger role.
Do older or younger teams have an advantage? There are several theories floating around out there on the topic, and the answer kind of just depends on who you ask. Young teams such as Colorado and Carolina have fresh legs and could hit the ice at somewhat full speed despite the limited ramp-up time. But clubs with older core players — Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh — have experience that will help them navigate the playoffs. The extended layoff also, seemingly, has given the older groups a chance to recharge.
Can Canada end its championship drought? The Stanley Cup will be awarded in a Canadian city (Edmonton), but will a Canadian team win it? That hasn’t happened since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. There are six teams this year, but all will have to get through the qualifying round, and Winnipeg and Calgary are playing each other. Toronto and Edmonton are playing at their arenas, but there is no true home-ice advantage without fans. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is a Vezina Trophy finalist, and the Jets got to the conference final two years ago. But the odds remain in favour of a U.S. team winning again.
Can the St. Louis Blues repeat? History says no. The Penguins did in 2016 and 2017, but that was the first time since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings. Stanley Cup champions face a short off-season. That’s why the hiatus was good for the Blues. They got needed rest, plus the return of Vladimir Tarasenko from an injury. Most of last year’s team remains and they addressed the loss of defenceman Jay Bouwmeester (heart) by acquiring Marco Scandella before the trade deadline.
Will we see any tanking in the qualifying round? The reason we even bring the concept up among our playoff questions is because the losers in the qualifying round have a shot at a wonderful consolation prize: the first pick in the NHL draft. A 12.5-per-cent chance at phenom Alexis Lafreniere makes getting bounced right away a little less heartbreaking than usual. Still, players are not the ones who tank for a draft pick.