It’s quite possible, if all continues to go well in their talks, the NHL and NHLPA will today finalize and announce they’ve reached a “tentative” deal on: Phase 3/4 Return To Play (RTP) protocols; CBA extension; transition rules; and critical dates calendar.
Once a tentative deal is reached, it will need to be ratified by the NHL board of governors and the full NHLPA membership. It’s my understanding that the players would be voting on the entire package and a simple majority would be required to pass.
On critical dates, one we can pencil in — we are using @TSNquizmaster’s No. 2 pencil — is Free Agent Frenzy(?) on Nov. 1, 2020. We know this, for now, because 2019-20 contracts set to expire on June 30 have been extended to Oct. 31. So Nov. 1 would be Day 1 of 2020-21 contracts.