Nothing is official yet, but rumors suggest the foundation is being laid by the NHL and NHL Players' Assoication to begin the new season.
The league and its Players' Association for weeks have been negotiating terms for a return amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's looking like a 56-game regular season reportedly will begin Jan. 13.
But a shorter calendar won't be the only major difference.
According to a Wednesday report from The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the four divisions also will be realigned in order to cut down on travel and make play safer.
Here's what they'd reportedly look like:
All Canadian teams will be grouped together, while other major changes include the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres being shuffled in with most of the teams in the Metropolitan Division.
As mentioned, nothing here is final or even confirmed. But LeBrun certainly is a reliable source, and we'll surely know these details soon.
