Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer is well aware of the level of competition his club may have to face next season should the NHL's reported realignment plan remain as is.
The Golden Knights, who finished atop the Pacific Division in 2019-20, are slated to be in a group featuring the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars. Those three clubs sat first, second, and third respectively in the Central before the season was paused.
“That’s the group of death, to use a soccer term,” DeBoer said Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.
Vegas is somewhat familiar with the three Central Division giants. DeBoer's club knocked off each team in last summer's round robin to determine the top four seeds in the Western Conference playoffs. The Golden Knights were eventually eliminated in five games by the Stars in the conference finals.
Despite DeBoer's declaration, the division's other half would feature the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Arizona Coyotes. Each of those clubs finished in the bottom 10 of the NHL last season for points percentage.
Though the reported divisions aren't official, the NHL will be realigning teams to mitigate travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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