We inch closer and closer to the NHL returning to action - or at least having a final plan - but nothing is final just yet. Pierre LeBrun provided an update on where the two sides currently sit and next steps with the NHLPA slated to meet at 7pm Thursday evening. Frank Seravalli confirmed this information with the feasibility of a resolution - one way or the other - occurring in the short term.

The NHL's reopening plan is continuing to take shape.

🏒 NHLPA call scheduled to discuss 24-team format

🏒 "Just not there yet" on official date, sources say

🏒 Toronto, Las Vegas, Edmonton, Vancouver and others among possible hub cities

And more via @PierreVLeBrun ⤵️

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 21, 2020

The latest on the 24-team Return to Play format proposal, the NHL awaiting word from the NHLPA on it. The NHLPA has a 7 p.m. ET Executive Board call tonight to discuss the format.
Here's more details on where everything sits now:https://t.co/pjikRP3KrM

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 21, 2020

Regarding the 24-team format currently on the table (and again, the NHLPA may come back with changes, but for now):

- The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin with each other (three games) while the bottom eight teams in each conference face off in a best-of-five, play-in series, No. 5 versus No. 12, No. 6 versus No. 11, etc.
- Those play-in series winners advance to the 16-team playoffs.
- Despite the top four teams in each conference initially being ranked by the current standings, their round-robin games do matter. If the No. 4 team sweeps through their portion of the round-robin, there is a chance for them to be ranked higher in the playoff seeding.
- The 24 teams return ranked on points percentage. The top four in the East are Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia; in the West it’s St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas.

I reached out to Pierre to ask if the third section is missing the word NOT because seems odd to use these games to decide standings, especially in the case of Boston, who has an insurmountable lead in their division and conference. Per LeBrun, as you will see in the twitter tag below, the round-robin does matter. In the East, Tampa has 92 points, Washington 90 and Philly 89, so you could argue seeding might be impacted, but that also might mean divisional standings won't matter. If Washington "wins" the Metro, yet has less points than Tampa, Wash might be the three seed, which differs from the past. In the West, the Central and Pacific are each up for grabs, but unless Vegas swept all three games and Colorado earned no points, the Avalanche would finish with more points than the Golden Knights, As noted just above, remains to be seen how 1-4 will be seeded including whether or not "winning" a division is a driver.

Jeremy Jacobs must be ecstatic about that :)

— Jan Levine (@airjan23) May 21, 2020

INSIDER TRADING: #TSNHockey Insiders discuss...

- Review/approval process for Return to Play proposals
- Edmonton’s ‘lifestyle pitch’ as a hub city
- Reception to 24-team bracketing, Draft Lottery questions

WATCH 🌏: https://t.co/HxZHHBowNS pic.twitter.com/prWZ7FYHfh

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) May 21, 2020

One unknown in this equation is are the brackets locked. Meaning should the top team play the lowest remaining after the initial best-of-five play in round or do the brackets, as seen in the tweet and column attached as well as the Insiders segment above, remain static. In addition, what happens after the first true round, will the NHL reseed or maintain the brackets? If the league has two hubs - one for each conference - having the highest seeded team play the lowest seeded team remaining would be easy. If multiple hubs, doing so would be harder, since additional travel would be required.

A closer look at the NHL’s 24-team playoff proposal...

The #NHL & #NHLPA have hashed out an initial framework for how the #StanleyCup may be awarded in 2020, pending approval from both sides.

More from @frank_seravalli: https://t.co/jgZYeKfWoM#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/vzRaSztq61

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) May 21, 2020

Scott Wheeler is not a fan of this approach, as seen by his tweet below. I responded giving my view. But Wheeler does mirror to a certain extent what LeBrun included in his column (see below); the major markets are having an impact on the number of teams in the playoff picture and how the determination was made to include 1-12 per conference. None of this is that shocking, and if I was a fan of Buffalo and others who would have made the playoffs using a different format or felt just go top-eight in a conference. I understand the annoyance and consternation. But money and viewership is playing a part.

The appeal for the league in a 24 team format is to have more fan bases involved and create more buzz. Which is exactly what they’re getting by including the Rangers, Habs and Blackhawks, three huge, Original Six markets.

The Rangers are impacted. But I have been saying since day one that if going with 24 teams, get rid of divisions and go with 1-12 in each conference. Far from ideal and as you said, teams are either unfairly added in or excluded.

— Jan Levine (@airjan23) May 21, 2020

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