from Sportsnet,

TAXI SQUADS AND EXPANDED ROSTERS
Rosters are going to have to be larger this season. As we see the NFL and college sports leagues play without the same kind of bubble the NHL successfully implemented this past summer, a number of positive tests are complicating games and seasons. That is also the case ahead of the World Junior Championship, as a number of teams — including Canada — have had positive tests before travelling to the Edmonton bubble in a week's time. It's gotten to be so much that there is concern whether the tournament should even be able to go ahead.

Since the NHL and the players prefer to not return to a bubble for a full season, they also will have to prepare for the increased likelihood of positive tests.

On top of that, some teams will have a harder time calling players up from their AHL teams. The three Western Canadian franchises, for instance, all have American-based farm teams, so cross-border travel and quarantine requirements won't allow for short-notice recalls.

The solution may be in an expanded roster and/or taxi squad, where a few extra players are allowed to be part of the team, perhaps without being on the official roster, on call for injuries and the like....

BUBBLE OR HUB CONTINGENCY?
As cases begin to climb in the NFL and we're seeing that league have to massage its schedule, how would the NHL handle a situation where games are forced to be postponed, given the schedule is already going to be compressed? What is Plan B in case local regulations make it harder to play in every home arena?

While the players weren't too crazy about going into a multi-month bubble again, it appears there could be a contingency plan for shorter term hubs to deal with this potential issue....

more on each of the above plus other points...