Many have the Chicago Blackhawks clocked in as one of the worst teams in hockey again for 2025-26, so it led me to think of a hypothetical scenario.
It's time to enter an alternate universe where a promotion-relegation system rules the NHL, like what you see in many European leagues. For this one, the NHL would do away with developmental AHL/ECHL affiliations, and instead adopt a tiered system for each club.