via Pierre LeBrun tweets,

NHL/NHLPA continue to hammer away in daily calls, trying to put together a plan for the '21 season. The 16-player RTP committee has convened nearly every day over the past week, but internally, not with the NHL. The NHL/NHLPA communication remains at the higher levels (con't)...

Both sides as of today still hope for a Jan. 1 puck drop (we'll see), and the Cup awarded by July 15 at the latest (hopefully sooner). Most of the conversations between both sides have focused on 60-plus games. All-Canadian division remains a thing for obvious reasons. (con't)

So, if there's early January puck drop, that means getting this done by the end of the month. As we saw in the spring/summer, these things can drag out, but the hope is that if there's an agreement it's within the next 7-10 days. But we'll see if talks hit a snag or not ($$).