We are three weeks away from the start of NHL training camps.

Well, maybe.

Nothing is finalized and dates are still subject to change, but according to our own Pierre LeBrun the NHL has targeted a Jan. 13 start date for the 2020-21 season, with training camps potentially opening as early as Jan. 1.

Here is the Morning Coffee for Thursday Dec. 10, 2020.

 

NHL Division Realignment

There are still some hurdles that the NHL will need to overcome in order to ensure a Jan. 13 start date.

The biggest news on Wednesday was the tentative division realignment plan that would include an all-Canadian division.

On That’s Hockey, Gino Reda was joined by TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli and TSN Hockey analyst Jamie McLennan to discuss the reaction around the league to the temporary division realignment proposal.

Apparently, not every team was happy with the potential changes.

One thing to consider about the potential division realignment is how it will impact season win total futures.

There are a couple of divisions that are much stronger on paper than the others.

Depending on if the realignment plan goes forward and depending on the scheduling, it could have a significant impact on projected win totals for the 2020-21 season.

Stay tuned.

 

Thursday Night Football

The New England Patriots were completely overlooked following a 2-5 start to the season.

However, New England has won four of their past five games to improve to 6-6 and suddenly can’t be overlooked in the AFC Wild Card race.

Can Bill Belichick and Cam Newton get the Patriots into the playoffs?

New England is listed as a six-point underdog for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

After that, the Patriots will visit the Miami Dolphins before returning home for a pair of games against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets to close out the season.

New England is 8-2 straight up in its past 10 games against NFC opponents, including a win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12.

Meanwhile, the Rams are currently atop the NFC West division.

If they can beat the Patriots and Jets the next two weeks, they will improve to 10-4 before clashing with the Seattle Seahawks and Cardinals to close out the season. 

Los Angeles has dropped four straight games to AFC teams and has failed to cover in all of them, including losses to the Bills and Dolphins this season.

 

NFL Power Rankings

For the first time in a while, there was a real shake up in my top-five Power Rankings this week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were bumped down a spot after their undefeated season came to a sudden end.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks fell off the list entirely following a brutal loss to Colt McCoy and the New York Giants, with a new team making its debut in the fifth spot.

Here are my Power Rankings entering Week 14.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (+210)

The Chiefs have won seven straight and suddenly find themselves back atop the AFC thanks to the Washington Football Team’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Kansas City has failed to cover in four straight, so is there any concern this team is slowing down? Not as far as I’m concerned. The Chiefs will visit the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints with a chance to remind everybody just how dominant they can be these next two weeks. With the door now wide open for the No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye, Patrick Mahomes and company will do what it takes to clinch that top seed.

2. New Orleans Saints (+500)

We don’t know for sure when Drew Brees will return, but we do know the Saints are now 8-0 without him over the past two seasons. New Orleans hasn’t missed a beat with Taysom Hill, thanks in large part to excellent coaching, some talented pieces on offence and the top-ranked defence in the NFL. The Saints are still the team to beat in the NFC.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (+800)

Whether it’s addressing the difficulty of going 16-0 or giving Pittsburgh a bit of a pass for its loss to Washington following all of the schedule movement they have been forced to deal with, the bottom line is that they should have beat the Football Team and they didn’t get it done. A lack of a run game combined with the pass game looking out of sync a couple of weeks in a row is one thing. Losing Bud Dupree, Robert Spillane and Joe Haden ahead of a showdown with the Bills is another. The Steelers are still a legitimate Super Bowl contender. However, their path to a championship just got a little more difficult following last week’s loss.

4. Green Bay Packers (+800)

The Packers defence has benefited from getting to play a pair of awful opponents, so we need to keep things in perspective here. However, Green Bay has a very manageable schedule the rest of the way and at 9-3, could still potentially catch that No. 1 seed in the NFC with a little help. Aaron Rodgers has performed at an MVP level this season.

5. Buffalo Bills (+1600)

The Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all getting more love than the Bills with shorter Super Bowl odds, but Buffalo has earned the fifth spot on this list ahead of all of them. The Bills already have wins over Seattle and Los Angeles, and will have the opportunity to register another statement victory when they host the Steelers on Sunday night. Josh Allen delivered one of the best performances of his career in a 34-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. I can’t wait to see how he fares against the Pittsburgh defence in prime time.