Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe expects high intensity on a nightly basis if the NHL proceeds with an all-Canadian division for the 2020-21 season.

Keefe believes pre-existing rivalries between Canadian squads and a shortened campaign in which every game will be crucial to the playoff race should create an atmosphere similar to the postseason.

"Sure, you get to know your opponents better. But as you know your opponents better, they also know you better," Keefe told the Toronto Star's Kevin McGran. "So it has a very playoff type of feel to it in that sense."

Keefe said he's prepared to embrace the unique opportunity.

"I think it's really exciting," he said. "I think it presents its own challenges, given that when I look at the Canadian teams, virtually every one made positive changes. ... It's something that's very exciting for the fans. I'm sure that Canadian sports fans would embrace it."

Six Canadian teams qualified for the expanded postseason this past summer. The Vancouver Canucks enjoyed the deepest run, losing in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. The Columbus Blue Jackets eliminated Keefe's Maple Leafs in the qualifying round.

The NHL hasn't finalized its plans for the coming campaign, but all signs point to an all-Canada division as Canada-U.S. border restrictions continue amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The league is hoping to begin a regular season of 48-60 games in January.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Phillip Danault is entering the final year of his contract, and the pivot says he hasn't started to seriously discuss an extension with the club.

"Right now there’s no negotiations," Danault said Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "So we’re at square one."

Danault, who's set to make $3.1 million next season, registered 13 goals and 47 points in 71 games during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. He was on pace to set career highs in both of those departments over 82 contests, and the 27-year-old finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting.

The Quebec native tallied just one goal in 10 playoff games while being asked to play a larger defensive role. Danault voiced his frustration with the change following the team's elimination, but he clarified those comments on Tuesday.

"I never said I want to be the first-line center and be, like, the man every game," he said, according to Basu. "The way I view things is the day I will be set on a defensive role, full time, that day will be like I want to stop getting better every year.

"... I want to get better offensively, defensively, I want to do both. I don’t want to be sitting in one chair."

With youngsters Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi slowly moving toward full-time roles at center, Danault understands he may slip down the depth chart. He hopes to offer guidance through his experience.

"I’ll kind of be a mentor for the kids, I’ll show them some tricks, I want us to help each other a lot," he said.

Danault has spent the past five seasons with Montreal. He ranks third on the club in scoring over that span after recording 170 points through 307 regular-season outings.

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What was once deemed off the table now appears to be a possibility.

Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice president of national teams, said Thursday it's "not out of the question" Alexis Lafreniere joins the nation's world junior squad for the upcoming tournament, adding the phenom's status is still being discussed, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

In August, Lafreniere - who the New York Rangers selected first overall in October's draft - reportedly planned to play the 2020-21 season in the NHL rather than report to camp with the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic or play overseas. However, it was also noted at the time he'd reconsider his options if the NHL season didn't start in December or January.

Salmond said Thursday that conversation about the promising forward's availability is continuing despite the ongoing quarantine at Team Canada's camp in Red Deer, Alberta.

Hockey Canada paused its selection camp and entered a 14-day quarantine period Wednesday night after learning Tuesday that two players tested positive for COVID-19; a positive test from a non-core staff member also forced two coaches to self-isolate as a precaution Saturday.

The NHL has long targeted Jan. 1 as the start date for its 2020-21 campaign. However, talks between the league and the NHLPA have reportedly stalled since the NHL proposed a plan that forced the players to defer twice the amount of salary they agreed to in July's updated CBA.

Lafreniere starred for Canada en route to a gold medal at the previous World Junior Championship. He was named tournament MVP and best forward, ranking fourth among all skaters in both goals (four) and points (10) in five games despite suffering an injury. He was also part of the 2019 squad that finished sixth.

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Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois accomplished one major piece of offseason business Wednesday by locking down restricted free-agent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and he's not worried about inking two other key players even as his club sits above the salary cap.

After signing Sergachev to a three-year contract carrying a $4.8-million average annual value, the Lightning are nearly $2 million over the cap, according to CapFriendly. But forward Anthony Cirelli and blue-liner Erik Cernak remain restricted free agents in need of new deals.

"Not keeping them was never something we would seriously consider," BriseBois told The Athletic's Joe Smith regarding the Lightning's remaining RFAs. He added: "There's significant will on our end to make (new deals) happen. They're a big part of why I look at our organization and future with a lot of promise."

Cirelli is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him record 44 points in 68 regular-season games and finish fourth in Selke Trophy voting. Cernak logged more than 20 minutes of ice time per night during Tampa Bay's postseason run to the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

BriseBois is well aware he'll need to shed some significant salary to sign the pair of 23-year-olds.

"I know I have to move players to make that happen, and I'm confident I'll be able to move the players to create cap space," he said.

BriseBois added: "There's a lot of progress being made. We're working on a bunch of different fronts, there's a lot of balls up in the air. Nothing has materialized yet."

One player the Lightning are apparently keen to move is Tyler Johnson. The team placed the 30-year-old forward and his $5-million cap hit on waivers earlier in the offseason, but he ultimately went unclaimed.

The NHL's salary cap will remain at $81.5 million for the foreseeable future due to revenue losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Team Canada is halting its world junior selection camp and entering a 14-day quarantine period after confirming Tuesday that two players tested positive for COVID-19, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday.

"Upon learning of the positive tests on Monday, the decision was made to suspend all camp activities and quarantine players and staff immediately," the statement read. "As per Hockey Canada’s safety protocols, all players, coaches, and staff members will go through additional testing before resuming any camp activities.

"We remain in constant communication with the appropriate health authorities, and we appreciate and thank Alberta health services for its dedication to ensuring the health and safety of our players, staff, and the community at large."

Workouts and meetings will be conducted via video call, while scrimmages scheduled for this weekend are canceled, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

In addition to the players' positive results, a non-core member of Canada's staff tested positive this past weekend. Two of the squad's coaches, Michael Dyck and Jason LaBarbera, were self-isolating because they were close contacts of the individual.

Canada invited 46 players to its selection camp in Edmonton.

The World Junior Championship is set to start Christmas Day in a bubble environment without fans in attendance.

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