The seven non-playoff teams may play again before next season

With the NHL suspending the season on March 12th, it's been a long time since any team has played any games. Many players haven't even skated. For the seven teams not taking part in the qualifiers and playoffs this summer--the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks--that stretch could be much longer as no one knows when the 2020-21 season might start. It appears the NHL is taking that into account.

According to the latest 31 Thoughts article from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, those seven teams may be playing again before next season.

"There is talk of “games” involving the seven non-playing teams sometime in the fall," wrote Friedman. Details are sketchy, since that isn't a current priority, but those organizations don't want their guys waiting until December/January to play."

It's difficult to blame teams for wanting their guys to play. The usual longest stretch is for non-playoff bound teams whose players sit at home from early April to early September before training camps begin; a total of five months. We're almost at a four-month stretch now since the last NHL games were played, and for the seven teams not taking part in the qualifying round, they may be looking at November, December or even January before hitting the ice again in any significant way.

It's hard to imagine those games, should they take place, will hold any meaning for the seven teams involved. It's certain management would prefer they play anyway, if only to make sure their players stay in game shape.

Source: 31 Thoughts

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