Will Toronto be a ‘Hub City’ for the NHL playoffs? Will we find out the answer anytime soon? Will we keep asking this question because there’s some reason they haven’t confirmed this yet?

I suspect the answer to all three of those questions is ‘yes’.

Justin Trudeau opens the door to NHL hub cities in Canada

Yesterday, news broke that the Canadian government would basically do what is necessary to allow the NHL to arrange for somewhere in Canada to be selected. The league has made no secret of the fact they would prefer Toronto to be the Eastern hub, with Las Vegas being the western hub.

Of course, this is not confirmed yet, and Edmonton and Vancouver are apparently still in the running, but, well, that seems only for show. We will soon get a press release saying that “after very careful consideration, and an exhaustive review process involving public health experts” Toronto is selected as the Canadian hub city.

Or not. We continue to wait for the NHL to say or announce, well, anything. Like when is that “early June” NHL Draft happening?

Other News

Maple Leafs v.s. Blue Jackets: Series Preview and Prediction – Centre Of Leafs Nation
Here's one take on the upcoming series.

Source: Jackets shouldn’t expect Anderson to play until September – The Athletic
While the injured winger likely won't be ready for NHL's return to play, we make our projections for the Blue Jackets roster next month.

Sabres Make Additional Front Office Cuts - Die By The Blade
By “additional,” they mean the Sabres basically fired everyone.

Vegas signs Reaves to 2-year extension - Knights On Ice
Golden Knights inks Ryan Reaves to an extension carrying a $1.75 million AAV.

Report: Coliseum to be shuttered while seeking investors - Lighthouse Hockey
Chapter [too high to count] of the Islanders never ending arena drama may see them once again forced to move to the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn to play games as the operator of Nassau Coliseum’s shuts it down.

NHL’s statements on racism are empty words until they are backed by action - The Cannon
The NHL has begun using their platform to speak, but what will they do?

And, speaking of betting... with no sports to bet on, gamblers are turning to even more certain to lose-your-shirt opportunities.

Trading Sportsbooks for Brokerages, Bored Bettors Wager on Stocks - The New York Times
Millions of small-time investors have opened trading accounts in recent months, a flood of new buyers unlike anything the market had seen in years, just as lockdown orders halted entire sectors of the economy and sent unemployment soaring.
It’s not clear how many of the new arrivals are sports bettors, but some are behaving like aggressive gamblers. There has been a jump in small bets in the stock options market, where wagers on the direction of share prices can produce thrilling scores and gut-wrenching losses. And transactions that make little economic sense, like buying up the nearly valueless shares of bankrupt companies, are off the charts.

From The Branches