from Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN,

Where is the NHL in its planning for the 2020-21 season?

Greg Wyshynski: The NHL and the NHL Players' Association announced on Oct. 6 that they have shifted their target date for starting the 2020-21 season to Jan. 1, 2021, after initially targeting Dec. 1.

The NHL has updated its board of governors and general managers on progress. It has had discussions with the NHLPA, including executive director Don Fehr, regarding the players' desires for next season. As of Friday, the NHL hadn't had a negotiating session with the NHLPA's "return to play" committee of about 10 players but did have one call with the NHLPA representative on that committee.

"It's premature to be drawing up plans [when] you don't have a real good idea as to whether they're practical, feasible or going to be put in place," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN last week. "At some point, we have to do it. But I think to this point, it's been the general sentiment that we don't know enough yet to get more granular than we've been."

The mantra from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been that the 2020-21 season doesn't necessarily have to end the way that it begins. The subtext to that: The NHL fully intends to have fans back in its home arenas at some point this season.

"I think the ultimate goal is to end up with fans in the arenas. I don't think we'll get to capacity, but I think we'll have enough socially distanced fans," said an NHL source.

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