Yes, it will be significantly more difficult for the Rangers to make the playoffs under 2020-21 realignment and the anticipated playoff format under which the top four teams in each division will qualify for the tournament than under the traditional setup that features conference wild cards.

For it will be a rumble in the jungle with the Rangers set to compete against the Islanders, Devils, Penguins, Flyers, Caps, Bruins and Sabres in a 56-game, self-contained, interdivisional schedule in which opponents will face off eight times apiece.

This, of course, will be subject to Board and union approval, but that is expected once the NHL and the NHLPA establish all-encompassing guidelines and rules of engagement for the season that is tentatively set to open on Jan. 13.

But there is a benefit to the rigorous competition the Blueshirts should expect to face coming off a season in which the club finished 18th-overall (37-28-5) and thus earned an invite to the 24-team Stanley Cup tournament before suffering a humbling three-game sweep by Carolina.   

For the bar will be set high for a franchise that is building to become a perennial Cup contender, not one that is hoping to finish eighth and become one of the teams that wins because, “anything can happen.” The Rangers will be required to elevate their game in order to succeed. That is a good thing.

Plus, eight games against, in particular, the Bruins, Caps and Islanders, will force the team to develop more of a regular-season grind mentality than would otherwise be necessary in a traditional go-round. The Rangers won’t be able to lean exclusively on their elite skill and dance through the schedule, only to be gobsmacked in the mouth come playoff time.

The need to play with more grit and adopt more of a north-south, forecheck, drive-to-the-net, small-space mentality will be necessary beginning with Game 1 of the season, not of the tournament. The faster the Rangers get there, the better not only this year but over the long haul.

The Candy Canes, who in turn were thrashed by the Bruins in the playoffs’ official first round, drop out of the Blueshirts’ division as do the Blue Jackets, replaced by Boston and Buffalo. Otherwise, it is more or less ye olde’ Patrick Division.

Without fans in arenas, will Rangers-Islanders be as intense? Or will the increased exposure and baseball-like series expected to be a feature of the schedule organically elevate emotions? Speaking of which, how much emotion will be attached to Henrik Lundqvist facing the Blueshirts in an empty Garden?

There is obviously an added element of the unknown to this upcoming season, just as when the NHL entered into its bubble over the summer. Different teams adapted differently. Veteran teams that had won before and were not quite considered favorites, such as the Caps and Blues, were early fodder. Now, there will be a short camp, perhaps without exhibition games, and a sprint to the finish line.

The shortened schedule would seem to act against the Rangers. Older teams like the Bruins and Caps should be at an advantage playing fewer games, though if the schedule is condensed, maybe not quite so much. The Islanders, who grind every night, should also benefit from a shorter schedule, though the same disclaimer applies.

Of the four redesigned and yet unnamed divisions, the one with the Rangers appears the most powerful. Boston (1), Washington (5), Philadelphia (6) and Pittsburgh (7) finished among the top seven teams in last season’s overall standings. The division’s eight teams had an average finish of 12th-overall with one qualifying round series victory and four playoff round wins.

The division featuring Cup champion Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina, Columbus, Chicago, Minnesota, Nashville and Detroit — you could call this one, the Gerrymandered Division — had an average finish of 17th-overall with four playoff series victories (all by the Lightning) and three qualifying wins.

The western one with Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose, St. Louis and Vegas had an average finish of 16th overall, with six playoff round victories and one qualifying round triumph.

The Canadian Division including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver had an average finish of 19th-overall, with one playoff round and three qualifying round victories.

The Maple Leafs get away from the Bruins and Lightning. The Lightning get away from the Bruins and Maple Leafs. The Bruins get away from the Lightning and Maple Leafs. The ‘Canes and Jackets get a reprieve from the Metro meat grinder and get a softer landing.

The Rangers? It does not appear as if they are going to be able to get away with anything. Big picture, what else would you want?