Playoff Seeding System

[Pilky01]

Expanding the playoffs is f***ing insane.

 

[StreetHawk]

Expanding the playoffs is ****ing insane.

Nhl clubs want to be able to say to their fans that we made the playoffs like mlb even if it’s just 1 game play in. But mlb only has 1/3 not soon to be 1/2 of the teams making the post season.

 

[The CyNick]

That's because the current format allows for divisional crossover. A better system for rivalries would be for the 4th & 5th place teams in each division to play a best-of-three wildcard series ... and then face the top seed in their division. This will increase chances of rivalries, keep travel to a minimum, and force teams to defeat their own divisions and conferences before earning the right to play for The Cup.

The whole 1-8 or 1-16 seeding system just dilutes any possibility of rivalries whatsoever.

This is the planned solution after Seattle comes in.

 

[The CyNick]

I absolutely hate the H/A vs everyone. Too many games of the schedule eaten up.

I like the 4x4x4x4 format. Although you’d have a LOT of issues reaching a consensus on the groups.

I’d probably go:

MON-BOS-TOR-OTT
NYR-NYI-NJD-PHI
TB-FLA-PIT-WAS
CBJ-DET-BUF-CAR

VAN-EDM-CAL-SEA
SJ-ANA-LA-VGK
ARZ-COL-NASH-DAL
MIN-WIN-STL-CHI

But more importantly,

6 games vs 3 division = 18
4 games vs 12 conference = 48
1 game vs 16 other conf = 16

82 Games.

An important thing for the league is to be able to promote to season ticket holders that you will get to see every player in your arena. That is unlikely to change anytime soon.

 

[The CyNick]

I do not want the playoffs expanded, but if they do I would want this format.

4 divisions of 8. Team 4 plays against team 5 in a 3 game series for each division. Winner plays against the 1st place team. Then just keep everying the same.

Schedule would be play every team home and away for 62 games. Then the remaining 20 against your division.

That's the plan. Although I think it might be a one game or two game series for the "wildcard" round.

 

[The CyNick]

I am a fan of the division structure. In the 80s, it was fun seeing the a lot of the same teams year after year in a seven game series. It's harder today because you have 8 team divisions vs 5, but still.

I would much prefer to see Leafs vs Lightning or Bruins over the next couple years vs seeing Leafs vs Putt one year, Flyers the next and Bruins the next. You never build rivalries like that.

For the rest of the league the divisional structure ensures fan friendly times for playoff matches. If I was a new fan in Vegas I would much rather knowing I would play a SJ or LA vs possibly having games against Chicago or STL that will start at 5 or 6PM local time. Most people have an East coast bias and don't consider these things. It will just go "oh well too bad for them". That's not how a league should operate.

 

[LeafShark]

Would really like to have any two teams play in the final though... East vs West all the time is getting boring.

 

[Crayton]

Would really like to have any two teams play in the final though... East vs West all the time is getting boring.

As would I, someone (you?) earlier mentioned having a 1-4 divisional round followed by a 1-4 conference round followed by a 1-4 league round followed by the Stanley Cup Finals. I'd enjoy that.

However, I do believe that the league wants to keep East vs. West to best market the Stanley Cup Finals year-round. I'd take "American" vs. "National" for the Cup, but I'm not sure owners are up for 'that' type of regular- and post-season format. There are probably a few ways to create a new "A vs. B" narrative; perhaps A consists of last year's playoff teams while B is all new teams (not the type of thing you want to bake into your playoff format, but if the "narrative" is what the NHL needs to market, perhaps there is something more intriguing than the "boring" East vs. West).

With 32, most likely there will be 4-team sub-divisions, if only for scheduling purposes (if they market the 4-team divisions, they'll give the winner a playoff spot, even a bye through any WC-round, but not guaranteed home-ice). The regular season schedule will be wholly divisional (the '8'-team divisions, that is; essentially an 80s-esque 4-conference schedule)... though I wouldn't be surprised if they kept the existing wildcard (please! drop the potential double cross-over).

As to MNN's OP? The existing structure produces decent matchups even as the quirky Eastern ranking persists. If you want "divisional, up to 1 or 2 wildcards" then you can't do better than this. If you want "conference with extra divisional series" then you'd set a tolerance level (how far from traditional 1v8 pairing? 2 seeds) and this year no 2 Atlantic teams could produce a pairing within that tolerance level of traditional pairings.

 

[varsaku]

Throwing out there a pretty crazy idea.

How would a Memorial Cup style format work with each of the divisional champions. Have the playoffs as usual with 8 teams from each conference with more divisional focus like how it is currently. Each of the divisional champions qualify for the "Stanley Cup Tournament." You can have a home and away game against each of the other teams. A tie breaker game can be played between the 2nd and 3rd place teams if needed, with the winner playing the 1st place team for the Stanley Cup. You can have either have a 1 game knockout final or a best of three.

Justification:

• This format will help keep 4 markets more heavily invested in the Stanley Cup. You can also draw in alot of casual fans to tune in to a one game knockout final versus a seven game series that currently only draws casuals from the teams involved.
• Helps separate the NHL product from the other NA leagues we are competing with.
• 13 guaranteed games(6 per team played) or 14 if tie breaker is needed. With guaranteed number of Stanley Cup games played to each team to help sell games at a premium.

 

[The CyNick]

Would really like to have any two teams play in the final though... East vs West all the time is getting boring.

One of the ideas kicked around prior to settling on the current format was to have divisional playoffs till the semis. Then you either rotate which divisions play each other or re-seed 1-4. That way in theory two east or two West teams could play in finals, but never two tasks from same division.

I kinda like that concept.

 

[The CyNick]

Throwing out there a pretty crazy idea.

How would a Memorial Cup style format work with each of the divisional champions. Have the playoffs as usual with 8 teams from each conference with more divisional focus like how it is currently. Each of the divisional champions qualify for the "Stanley Cup Tournament." You can have a home and away game against each of the other teams. A tie breaker game can be played between the 2nd and 3rd place teams if needed, with the winner playing the 1st place team for the Stanley Cup. You can have either have a 1 game knockout final or a best of three.

Justification:

• This format will help keep 4 markets more heavily invested in the Stanley Cup. You can also draw in alot of casual fans to tune in to a one game knockout final versus a seven game series that currently only draws casuals from the teams involved.
• Helps separate the NHL product from the other NA leagues we are competing with.
• 13 guaranteed games(6 per team played) or 14 if tie breaker is needed. With guaranteed number of Stanley Cup games played to each team to help sell games at a premium.

As fun as a single knockout is, I would miss seven game series. Interesting concept though.

 

[Jeffrey93]

I've suggested, and am glad to see it might actually be adopted, that the Wild Card remain in the division once Seattle shows up.

1,2,3 make it....4 & 5 play a Wild Card series. Best of 3 or 5.

So you'd have 4 shortened Wild Card series' all within the division, then after the final 4 playoff teams are decided....all 8 of the matchups will be divisional.....then the second round will be divisional.

I'm giddy just thinking about it. Every year 5 of 8 divisional teams will play in some sort of playoff series against each other. The heated rivalries will be back in no-time.....every divisional regular season game will be huge.

If the NHL actually does this (which I STRONGLY believe they should)....I think the younger fans won't know what to do with themselves....they'll see an intensity in NHL games they likely haven't witnessed yet. And I'd assume the tv ratings for these divisional matchups would also rise considerably. Rivalries used to be that even if you couldn't care less about the teams....you'd watch, because you knew they hated each other and you knew it would be an incredibly intense game.

Damn I hope they actually do this....within 2 years of a divisional wild card series....the increase in intensity of divisional games would be drastic.

 

[canuckster19]

Still think they should take it one step further and have 3 play 6 and 4 play 5, or in my preference go to divisions of 4 where teams 2 and 3 play a best of three. Improves the lottery system too limiting it to 8 teams. Hell you could even justify a first overall playoff with the 4th place team from all 8 divisions as many fans want.

 

[GordonGecko]

1-8 conference seeds are the way to go

 

[Pilky01]

4 Divisions, 1-4 qualify, no wild cards.

Thats a perfect playoff format.

 

[cutchemist42]

I just dont see the point of following the season in the same interest if that many bad teams will make the playoffs.

This does nothing to actually make the playoffs better.

 

[cbcwpg]

As of today, the top 16 teams as ranked #1 - #16 by points, are the same 16 teams in the playoffs using the current format with wild card spots. The only difference is who the teams would each be playing.

For me.... I just want the best teams in the playoffs, and it seems we have that this season.

 

[innitfam]

I've suggested, and am glad to see it might actually be adopted, that the Wild Card remain in the division once Seattle shows up.

1,2,3 make it....4 & 5 play a Wild Card series. Best of 3 or 5.

So you'd have 4 shortened Wild Card series' all within the division, then after the final 4 playoff teams are decided....all 8 of the matchups will be divisional.....then the second round will be divisional.

I'm giddy just thinking about it. Every year 5 of 8 divisional teams will play in some sort of playoff series against each other. The heated rivalries will be back in no-time.....every divisional regular season game will be huge.

If the NHL actually does this (which I STRONGLY believe they should)....I think the younger fans won't know what to do with themselves....they'll see an intensity in NHL games they likely haven't witnessed yet. And I'd assume the tv ratings for these divisional matchups would also rise considerably. Rivalries used to be that even if you couldn't care less about the teams....you'd watch, because you knew they hated each other and you knew it would be an incredibly intense game.

Damn I hope they actually do this....within 2 years of a divisional wild card series....the increase in intensity of divisional games would be drastic.

The season would have to be shortened a bit to accommodate this. Trim the fat of the pre-season, 80 games only?

Even if you do the 3 game series in only 4 days, you leave the winner of a full 3 game series playing the division winner in what, 2 days?

I suppose you could start the division winner series later than the 2/3. I'm a proponent of a small shrinking of the schedule anyway - give the players a little more rest, end the playoffs a little earlier.

Having the SCF compete with the NBA Finals is a losing proposition.

 

[YEM]

expand the playoffs...fine by me, I suppose
as long as they shave about 10 games off the bloated regular season [which they won't]

 

[Crayton]

I just dont see the point of following the season in the same interest if that many bad teams will make the playoffs.

This does nothing to actually make the playoffs better.

The argument is that it makes the regular season more exciting. Whether Vegas plays the #7 or the #10 out West makes little difference to the Knights.

On the other hand, the Penguins-Jackets-Devils-Flyers fighting it out for 2 byes into the conference quarterfinals would be super exciting (what are they playing for now?). Not all playoff spots are created equal; you won't be giving the Hurricanes the same playoff chances as the Blue Jackets.

I say 2 wildcard games (3-game series may be too long) per conference and give the four #1 seeds a game-in-hand for their quarterfinal round. This adds 0 length to the post-season.

 

[MNNumbers]

For those wondering.....

In the east, under any system besides the current one (no OT, 3-2-1-0, 2-1.5-0.5-0, Wins only, or 2-1-0 (2 for RW, 1 for OT/SO W, 0 for loss), Florida would be in, and Philly chasing right now.

In the west, it would be exactly as it currently is, with Colorado slightly ahead, but the whole thing likely coming down to Saturday's game, under any system, except that by wins only, StL would have the advantage, and as has been said many times here, the reason for that is the 11 games they have won after the horn at the end of the 3rd period.

This is why we say that, in the long run, the points system doesn't make a lot of difference.

 

[Crayton]

Expanding the playoffs is ****ing insane.

NHL announced today of a possible 83rd game between Florida and Philly if they are tied. I wouldn't mind making such a game take place whenever 8 and 9 are tied in points; existing tiebreakers like ROW can be used to determine home-ice or weed out a tied 10th place team.

 

[The CyNick]

The season would have to be shortened a bit to accommodate this. Trim the fat of the pre-season, 80 games only?

Even if you do the 3 game series in only 4 days, you leave the winner of a full 3 game series playing the division winner in what, 2 days?

I suppose you could start the division winner series later than the 2/3. I'm a proponent of a small shrinking of the schedule anyway - give the players a little more rest, end the playoffs a little earlier.

Having the SCF compete with the NBA Finals is a losing proposition.

No chance of a 3/5. Discussion right now is either a one game play in in each division or a two game series. With OT settling a split in the first two games. I believe the favored approach in a one game winner take all.

 

[one2gamble]

Expanding the playoffs is a terrible idea

 

[The CyNick]

Expanding the playoffs is a terrible idea

Two nights where you have two exciting winner takes all games per night wont hurt anyone. Games would be exciting and would generate more revenue for the leagues and players.