Is the NHL pre-season too long? One Maple Leaf casts his vote after a spate of high-profile injuries

Patrik Laine. Drew Doughty. Macklin Celebrini. 
Those are just a few names from a long list of NHL players who have suffered injuries during this year’s pre-season.
Some are much more severe than others — Laine (knee) and Doughty (ankle) will miss several months, while Celebrini (lower body) is day-to-day — but it has raised the question of whether the NHL’s pre-season is too long.
Maple Leafs forward Max Domi sure thinks so. 
“You don’t want to see guys get hurt … in games that don’t mean anything for the team,” he said. “It’s unfortunate … If I had a vote, I would probably say one or two (pre-season games).” 
Leafs teammate John Tavares said this pre-season has been unusually physical. 
“I think there’s always new trends,” he said. “It’s a very competitive league, and everyone is excited to get going.” 
Connor McDavid is on the other side of the fence. Reports out of Edmonton this week said the Oilers’ three-time Hart Trophy winner wants to play every remaining exhibition game to get into a rhythm for the regular season. 
“He’s got a lot more power in the league than I do, so if that’s the case then I guess we’re playing five or six,” Domi chuckled.
NHL teams typically play six to eight exhibition games in late September/early October. Perhaps to Domi’s delight, the league and players’ association are reportedly considering shrinking the pre-season to four games per team — and adding two to the 82-game regular season — according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. That would allow for a more balanced schedule with four games against each divisional opponent, three against teams in the other division of the same conference and two against opponents in the other conference. Teams currently play three times against two divisional opponents and four times against the other division rivals. 
“Nowadays, everyone comes to camp in shape. Back in the day, camp used to be a big part of that,” the 29-year-old Domi said. “I hope, and I’m sure, they’re looking at it.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters at this week’s board of governors meetings in New York that shortening the pre-season is “on the list of things to think about.”  
While Domi would be onside for such a change, he also understands the value of the pre-season, including the chance for younger players to prove themselves and potentially claim a roster spot.
“It’s exciting for certain kids that are 18, 19 years old and maybe have to go back to junior for a couple of years to have that opportunity to play with some legitimate NHL guys,” he said. “It was a big part of my career coming in, and I’m really grateful for that, but as you get older it’s a little bit different.”
And they’re called exhibitions for a reason. 
“An NHL hockey game is an NHL hockey game, no matter which way you slice it,” Domi said. “But (an exhibition game) is not really meaningful in terms of the team … We’re not climbing up the standings in the pre-season.”