The very nature of the NHL returning after pausing their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic creates circumstances that we’ve yet to become accustomed to.
Before the pause, the Metropolitan Division was shaping up to be a battle royale between the Capitals, Flyers and Penguins, a host of teams in each conference were fighting valiantly for the wild-card spots, while the Bruins and Blues were slowly attempting to separate themselves from their rivals and prove that last year’s Cup finalists remain the class of the NHL.
It is bizarre that we have hockey back in August to be sure, but a number of teams stand to benefit from the forced break, and we take a look at some teams who will have a better chance of lifting the Cup after the unintended four-month layoff.