[Athletic] Appetite to change the NHL playoff system is increasing

[Spirit of 67]

I think this is pretty simple.

Do nothing until Seattle is on board.

Once they are, go to 4, 4 team divisions per conference.
Division winners get the top 4 seeds based on points. 4 WC spots seeded by points.

DW1 vs WC4.
etc.
etc.
DW4 vs WC1.

Not really rocket science if you ask me.

 

[Nizdizzle]

I think this is pretty simple.

Do nothing until Seattle is on board.

Once they are, go to 4, 4 team divisions per conference.
Division winners get the top 4 seeds based on points. 4 WC spots seeded by points.

DW1 vs WC4.
etc.
etc.
DW4 vs WC1.

Not really rocket science if you ask me.

If you like the whole division winner system, I guess. Having 8 of the 16 playoff positions decided by arbitrary 4-team divisions is silly if you ask me.

1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 makes the regular season actually worth something. Then add in the 7vs10/8vs9 wild-card play-in game/series if you want to add more playoff teams.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

The system from 1994 to 2012 was as close to perfect as we're going to get. This format leads to the same matchups year after year. Most likely it's going to be Pittsburgh Washington in the 2nd round 4 years in a row this season.

 

[innitfam]

If you like the whole division winner system, I guess. Having 8 of the 16 playoff positions decided by arbitrary 4-team divisions is silly if you ask me.

1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 makes the regular season actually worth something. Then add in the 7vs10/8vs9 wild-card play-in game/series if you want to add more playoff teams.

You can always keep 8 team divisions (2 per conference) and only have 4 division winners get top seeds. Or 4 team divisions but top 2 teams per conference get top seeds, meaning two from one division could get them.

 

[bleedgreen]

If it involves the season going any longer than it already does I’m a strong vote against. Season could use to be a month shorter, hockey in summer is ridiculous. I wouldn’t add any more teams but I’d be for reorganizing who plays who in what order.

 

[joestevens29]

I know it has been a discussion on here and personally I hope this does get changed. Dislike the same matchups all the time. I realize this is from earlier this year but do we see more talk about it going forward this year?

Custance: Appetite to change the NHL playoff system is...

Wait, the next time the GM's meet is in March?

These guys seriously have nothing to talk about before the season starts?

 

[Territory]

I don't think they should add more teams, but they should definitely change the format.

It's ridiculous that the team tied for 6th in points in the league had to play the team ranked 4th in points while the 10th ranked team got to play the 13th ranked team.

Just do 1-8 seeding like the NBA does. Who the hell cares about divisions. If all 8 Metro teams are ranked higher than all 8 Atlantic teams, so be it.

 

[Jake Barnes]

I liked the 1-8 format except for when one of the division winners had fewer points than one or more of the 4-8 seeds. I'd be fine going back to that provided seeding isn't guaranteed i.e. if a division winner has only the 5th most points in their conference, they are seeded 5th. You should be rewarded for doing well during the season, which may or may not correlate to your position in your division (ex. the Atlantic and Central divisions last year).

As for more teams in the playoffs, hard no on that one. If they wanted to shorten the season to 70 games or something, then sure, add an extra round. But the season's too long as it is.

 

[StreetHawk]

So if you win your division in the West you could play an opponent who is 2 time zones away? That’s your reward?

Soon, all but 2 teams in the pacific will be pst. Maybe 7 if the nhl opts to have AZ and Col in the Pacific and Edm and Cal in the central due to AZ being in pst during the playoffs as they don’t observe daylight savings.

Would western teams prefer a tougher opponent and easier travel or longer travel with a weaker opponent? It’s really the west that would be the ones who would prefer the division vs conference playoff format.

 

[jw2]

“Let’s bring back 1-8!”
We never had 1-8.

“Let’s do 1-8... but give #5 the second seed”
That’s not 1-8.

 

[kingsholygrail]

We should use the format that benefits the Kings the most. That is the most reasonable choice.

 

[Barrie22]

The number of teams getting in is fine now.

The order those teams play each other currently was made by a monkey throwing darts at a board full of bad ideas.

That monkey apparently knew what he was doing in the 70's,80's,90's when the nhl playoffs were at its very best.

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

Get rid of east vs West make it 1 - 16

 

[mdm815]

Do the 4x4 divisions, div winners guarantees spots, but still seed 1-8 based on conference standings.

 

[easton117]

That monkey apparently knew what he was doing in the 70's,80's,90's when the nhl playoffs were at its very best.

It’s junk. Everyone knows it’s junk. There was nothing wrong with the 1-8 system they had. In fact it makes the most sense and makes the regular season the most meaningful.

The system they have in now doesn’t even make sense from a standings point of view. Last I checked that’s why they play an 82 game regular season.

I’m sure someone somewhere sat down and analyzed the numbers and found that yup, this way will make us the most money. It always comes down to that. Common sense got tossed out the window though when they went down that road.

 

[end]

We began in the murk and after a long period exploded into two divisions and then conferences. Then came the time of the Great One and the sacred divisions. In this honored format, champions would be named of the four divisions, and then pit against each other for the right to play for Lord Stanley.

The foul winds of the dead puck era laid this ancient and hallowed tradition low! The conference finals were no longer a mythical challenge between storied divisions, there now existed six (6!) divisions completely throwing off the perfect adversarial ladder of 1-2-4-8-16-32. There was no such thing as being a divisional champion beyond meaningless seeding, and teams played each other based on dumb luck rather than consistent titanic divisional matchups between irresistible forces. This was a dark age, without law and without order.

It cost us the anguish of lockouts but after the turmoil, we reclaimed our ancient customs! It is a springtime for the NHL; as it was under the old, so unto the new! The Capitals and Penguins will play every year for the Metro crown until new virtues arise and make a new age!

 

[Barrie22]

It’s junk. Everyone knows it’s junk. There was nothing wrong with the 1-8 system they had. In fact it makes the most sense and makes the regular season the most meaningful.

The system they have in now doesn’t even make sense from a standings point of view. Last I checked that’s why they play an 82 game regular season.

I’m sure someone somewhere sat down and analyzed the numbers and found that yup, this way will make us the most money. It always comes down to that. Common sense got tossed out the window though when they went down that road.

And as a fan of the 80's and 90's playoffs, the 1vs8 format was boring.

 

[Peiskos]

If they add more playoff teams then that's gross. Why do we want, as fans, more mediocre teams in the playoffs? I think the amount of playoff teams we have now is perfect. If your team finishes 9th, then they are out. No ifs ands or buts about it. Deal with it. They allow more teams in the playoffs then several years later they allow more until eventually all 32 teams make it? Where does it stop?

I agree, and lol all 32 teams in the playoffs, there literally would be no need for a regular season whatsoever and with more than 16 of 32 teams in the playoffs I'd argue there would be no need for a regular season either. If 20 of 32 teams make it for example that is 62% of the leagues teams making it, you'd have to be a horrendous team to miss and being just okay would be enough which makes the NHL a lesser league.

16 out of 32 making it is perfect, 50% in and 50% out.

 

[Barrie22]

I agree, and lol all 32 teams in the playoffs, there literally would be no need for a regular season whatsoever and with more than 16 of 32 teams in the playoffs I'd argue there would be no need for a regular season either. If 20 of 32 teams make it for example that is 62% of the leagues teams making it, you'd have to be a horrendous team to miss and being just okay would be enough which makes the NHL a lesser league.

16 out of 32 making it is perfect, 50% in and 50% out.

The nhl once had 80% of the teams make the playoffs.

 

[Peiskos]

The nhl once had 80% of the teams make the playoffs.

Yes which was ridiculous.

 

[StreetHawk]

Do the 4x4 divisions, div winners guarantees spots, but still seed 1-8 based on conference standings.

With 32 teams, the regular season breakdown would be 32 games against other conference. Leaves 50 games left to play the 15 teams within conferences.

So, you either play all other teams equally so 3 games each for 45 games with 5 teams playing 4 times during the year. If this option is followed then you go conference playoff format.

If you play the other division within conference 2 times each that is 16 games bringing you to 48 games. So have 34 games to split with 7 teams. So al but one team you play 5 times. If that is the option you go division based playoffs.

IMO how you breakdown the schedule for the regular is how you set up your playoffs.

 

[mdm815]

With 32 teams, the regular season breakdown would be 32 games against other conference. Leaves 50 games left to play the 15 teams within conferences.

So, you either play all other teams equally so 3 games each for 45 games with 5 teams playing 4 times during the year. If this option is followed then you go conference playoff format.

If you play the other division within conference 2 times each that is 16 games bringing you to 48 games. So have 34 games to split with 7 teams. So al but one team you play 5 times. If that is the option you go division based playoffs.

IMO how you breakdown the schedule for the regular is how you set up your playoffs.

6 games against division opponents (3x6 for 18).
4 games against conference opponents (4x12 for 48).
1 game against each alternate conference opponent, rotating home and away for each div every other year (ie 4 road vs pacific then 4 home vs pacific).
18+48+16=82.
22% of the season vs division, 19.5% vs alt conf, and 58.5% vs conference.

 

[mdm815]

I really think this is/should be a layup for the NHL. Having small divisions creates natural rivalries competing for a guaranteed spot. Look at divisional rivalries in the NFL, much more heated, even when one team isn’t doing well and one is. You don’t go as far as guaranteeing home ice, bc there will be the occasional outlier year where an 8 seed wins a division. But i think it will be rare that a division winner would be 9 or lower. It’s just too perfect for a 32 team league.

 

[mdm815]

For example last year in the east, assuming divisions were something like
Metro- PHI, NYR, NYI, NJD
Southeast- WSH, CAR, TB, FLA
Northeast- TOR, BOS, OTT, MTL
Great Lakes- PIT, BUF, DET, CLM

1TB*
8NJD

2BOS*
7CBJ

3WSH
6PHI*

4TOR
5PIT*
*denotes division winner.

First tiebreaker would be division winner in the event of points tied which sadly couldn’t be applied in the example here. But this is what the playoffs could like.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

They should do the 4 conference of 8 idea once Seattle gets in.

4 conferences of 8 each with 2 divisions of 4

schedule matrix

vs division 6 games (18)
vs rest of conference 4 games (16)
vs rest of NHL 2 games (48)

=82

Top 4 in each division play off then the teams are re-seeded once they make the final 4.