What about if they treat this like the offseason. We do a short training camp in August, play the playoffs August into September, Cup is awarded and then a week later(quick draft and free agency?) the next season starts. Perhaps free agency happens in advance, contracts are signed but don't take effect until the playoffs end. Draft sort of has to wait for the final results. Would be strange for sure, kind of like when there's a rink issue late in a period that they can't fix they do the intermission, then play the end of the period and start the next period right after. You do what you have to in a weird situation. Sports like golf have gone to an offseason mis-season, and while that's obviously different as each week is a new event and the playoffs aren't the most important thing it's better than rushing a July playoffs and then rushing a month offseason IMO.