Could the Carolina Hurricanes be playing in a new division this season?
The Carolina Hurricanes could be forced to play in a new division this upcoming season to stay within the confines of the COVID regulations between the US and Canada.
So, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the league to shut down for several months at the backend of last season, there is a rumor floating around regarding the format that the NHL could use is going to differ from normal years. It’s very likely that teams will not be able to cross the Canadian-American border at will like in normal years due to the pandemic, which means division realignment.
I must outline time and time again that this is just a rumor and there is nothing concrete. This rumor surfaced when ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski wrote about this and there’s a lot to talk about with it, but for Carolina, there are some interesting connotations for this division. Let’s dive into the teams within the rumored “Eastern” Division.
Joining the Carolina Hurricanes would be the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders. The notable absentees are the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who would both be in the NHL’s “Central” division.
From today's column on ESPN+, this is what I'm hearing for potential divisions for the NHL 2020-21 season: https://t.co/RCLTYW6NZ2 pic.twitter.com/9dEuj1TUCx
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 19, 2020
What does this mean for the Carolina Hurricanes? Well, it’s basically the same as the Metropolitan. Only, you lose a team that seemed to have the quality of a Lernaean Hydra and gain a team with playoff ambitions in the swap of Columbus for Buffalo. Buffalo will be hunting for playoffs with a new general manager and the additions of Taylor Hall and Eric Staal.
Boston comes in for Pittsburgh, which is basically a lateral move. Pittsburgh is always going to be viewed as cup contenders while they have that two headed monster of some guys named Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Boston has the perfection line, and Carolina in recent times has seen a lot of the Bruins. Everybody knows their strengths and their the same problem year after year.
Washington is aging and I’m not sure how long they have left before they need to tear it all down. That said, they were still contending for the division title when the season was stopped so they clearly have something left in the tank. Accompanied by one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, they’re never going to be easy to beat.
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Philadelphia is Philadelphia. They’re going to be there contending for division titles for years to come. They have a brilliant forward core, a strong defensive unit, and great goaltending which will make them a formidable opponent in whatever division they play in. This is best seen when you understand the fact they swept Carolina in the season series last year.
The New York teams are both going to pose a threat. With the New York Islanders reaching the 3rd round this season and with the Rangers being gifted another 1st overall pick, there’s going to be some strong competition in the big apple. Now, there remains a question with the islanders that their forwards may struggle because they don’t have the depth some others do.
New Jersey is rebuilding. That is the most polite thing that can be said about them. They have a lot of good pieces. But they’re still targeting another 1st overall pick to be a difference-maker for their team in the future. They will need to be respected when they provide the opposition for the Carolina Hurricanes, although they are a team that should be beaten for a team with deep playoff run ambitions.
All in all, the division is still a murderer’s row. All of the 8 teams could realistically be in playoff contention towards the end of the season. There are some absolute cup contenders in this division and it’s going to be interesting to see how the division develops and if the Carolina Hurricanes can cope with the big boys. If Carolina can hold their own, there’s no reason they cannot win the Stanley Cup.