This season, under any circumstances, was going to have a unique feel for the Wild.
A roster shake-up that shuffled veteran leadership and added a prized prospect — maybe two — to the lineup would have been the major topic.
But the temporary overhaul the NHL appears headed for during the coronavirus pandemic would double down on the changes facing the new-look team, setting the Wild up for a season unlike any other.
"This is a strange year," General Manager Bill Guerin said recently on a video call with reporters. "The good thing is that when we get back and when we get out on the rink and drop the puck, the game hasn't changed. It's the game of hockey, and that's the biggest thing.
"I don't think anybody is going to forget how to play. It's just a different schedule and a different time of the year. So, we'll deal with it."
Details on the 2020-21 NHL season are quite uncertain.
The league is reportedly aiming for a start date in mid-January after previously striving for Jan. 1, although that target continues to move depending on how COVID-19 cases trend and when other logistics get resolved.
And those issues could be tricky.
Travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada can be addressed through realignment and the creation of an all-Canadian division. The NBA has only one Canadian team, and Toronto will play out of Tampa Bay this season. But there are seven NHL teams north of the border, and with quarantine requirements, teams would not be able to travel back and forth from the U.S. Having the Canadian teams in a new division is a solution, but divvying up the remaining teams into three regional sections may not be as easy.
For example, the Wild could be shifted west to compete against the likes of Vegas, Arizona and the three California squads. The team could also remain closer to home and fill out a division with others from the Midwest and/or east.
