Today, we got a better idea of what a division realignment could look like, with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun sharing information on the potential divisions for the 2020-21 NHL season:
Not finalized yet, and still subject to change, but the 2020-21 four-division re-alignment currently looks like this according to sources:
The majority of the Pacific Division did stay intact but there would be three changes, if the divisions above are finalized. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues will join the division for the season, while the three Canadian teams, being the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, will temporarily leave the division.
If these are the divisions for the season, honestly, this doesn’t look good for the Sharks. In addition to retaining the Vegas Golden Knights, who were the top team in the division last year, the division also gained the top three teams from the Central Division last year. Vegas made a major splash in the offseason with the addition of Alex Pietrangelo and while St. Louis, in turn, lost their captain, they still picked up Torey Krug, who certainly helps to offset the loss. Colorado will also be one of the better teams in the league once again and don’t forget about the Stars, who were two wins away from a Stanley Cup a few months ago.
While Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver are all relatively strong teams, I don't think there’s any doubt that San Jose’s chances just got worse. The division gained two of the league’s top three teams last year and now includes four of the top 10 teams from the 2019-20 regular season. While the Sharks could finish ahead of the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings, there’s certainly a gap between the division’s top four teams and bottom four teams.
So if these are the divisions we see this season, the Sharks probably aren’t in a great spot.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
How do you feel about San Jose's playoff chances if this is the division they compete in for the 2020-21 season?
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