from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

The lack of progress over the last five days in crafting protocols for 2020-21 would seem to jeopardize the NHL’s targeted Jan. 1 puck drop on a hypothetical 60-game regular season.

Indeed, a 48-game season beginning the third week of January appears the more likely objective. The 1994-95 lockout season began Jan. 20 while the 2012-13 lockout year opened Jan. 19.

The parties must agree on health and safety protocols outside of a bubble. With an expectation of exposure, positive tests, infection and cases, the league and union must create contingencies within the schedule for postponements; for potentially ranking teams by percentages rather than points if teams do not play the same number of games; for roster expansion to accommodate positive (or inconclusive) tests, etc.

The league might want to consider eliminating overtime and going straight from regulation to the shootout in the event of 60-minute tie scores in order to limit the amount of time teams spend on the ice while competing in a condensed schedule.

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