New Playoff Format

[qqaz]

Really, its no different then the draft. Players get picked over other players, and teams pick based on what the organization feels they need. This would be the exact same. And if your worried about teams and players getting upset, then maybe that will cause them to give it there all for the duration of the regular season to avoid any hurt feelings by multi millionaires

There's no way around it at the draft. But this would be creating a problem where none exists.

And if you think no one would care, just look back to the AllStar draft. The PA didn't like Kessel getting embarrassed, so the next year the last guy got a car. Then they eventually abandoned the idea altogether.

You could sell the idea to fans. But the league and the PA would never even consider it.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Let's have the fans choose who plays who in the opening round.

 

[StoneHands]

I know people hate this idea every time it's brought up but I actually kind of like it. I really don't see the downside of this. The idea that some 7th seed is going to be that motivated because they were picked over an 8th seed is just fan speak. If that's what it takes to motivate a team, they already lost the series anyway.

 

[cmm1246]

The SPHL already does this. So do a few European leagues.
I don't know how I feel personally about it. But imagine if a #6 or #7 seed loses a key player at the end of the season? Or the #8 seed has been playing lights out for a few weeks. Travel would also be a big consideration.

 

[StoneHands]

The top finishing team in each conference would get the most reward with a CYO system. They can factor travel and how other teams match up etc. It would be quite a reward and incentive for finishing at the top and create so much drama for fans of the game. What's the negative here?

Because people see it as radical, gimicky, and outside the box and those kind of ideas are automatically dismissed here. I agree that there is really no downside to this and although I don't know if it's the right idea, I would rather have it over the current system. It actually gives the advantage to the best teams. Pick a team that maybe finished 7th but just lost a high end goalie or superstar forward that you know won't be back for a few weeks.

If they're going to stick with the 2 huge divisions in each Conference, they need to at least make it division winners as the top 2 seeds and then 6 wildcards.

Honestly, this is the real answer. provide incentive to win your division by awarding the top 2 seeds to the division winners. From there it's 3-8 based on points. Common sense to me.

 

[Butch 19]

I had never even thought of that before, and if marketed correctly they could televise the entire thing and maybe drum up some interest. Im just curious as to what other people think of that.

run this post in July.

 

[Fig]

My friends and I were discussing the current playoff format, and we all agreed that it is stupid. My one buddy suggested that they should have a playoff draft where the top team in each conference would get to choose their opponet. Then the second team, third team and fianlly the fourth team gets the leftovers. I had never even thought of that before, and if marketed correctly they could televise the entire thing and maybe drum up some interest. Im just curious as to what other people think of that.

Drafting your own opponent is lame.

IMO, for my idea, East and West still do their thing in the beginning. It's more interesting if the top teams get to draft the opponent for the team ranked just below them. Rivalries happen better when you're road blocks to each other (ie: BOA or Pacific teams trying to get to conference final). This idea could even go as far as create dual rivalries of the top teams attempting to railroad up to 2 teams by giving the two teams the most unfavorable match ups.

ie:

1 vs remainder
2 vs drafted by 1
3 vs drafted by 2
4 vs drafted by 3

5/6/7/8

To make sure things flow, a team must select an opponent for their opponent within 5 minutes, or their turn immediately goes to lottery ball.

For instance, the end result following the 2019 Western conference draft could have been:
NHL Hockey Standings

Calgary (1) v 7 (Vegas)
SJS (2) v 5 (STL) [1 drafts strongest against 2]
Nashville (3) v 6 (Dallas) [2 drafts strongest remaining against 3]
Winnipeg (4) v 8 (Colorado) [3 drafts weakest against 4 so 1 gets the strongest remaining]

The order of 5, 6, 7 and 8 may also change significantly depending on certain weaknesses and/or major injuries of teams squeaking into the playoffs.

For instance, Calgary may elect to draft VGK against SJS anyways as they perceive it railroads both teams. SSJ elects to move Colorado against Nashville to leave "stronger teams" remaining against Calgary. Nashville elects to move Dallas against Winnipeg because STL generally does well against Calgary.

Or, maybe someone owes someone something and the order is done in a way that favors a specific team in a match up. (ie: One team owns the lower seed team's pick, railroads them intentionally to improve the pick.


THEN, for the final 4 teams, team 1 would draft the opponent for team 4 (To avoid team 1 always being able to select the weakest team as an opponent). After that selection, team 4 can then elect to challenge team 1. If both 2 and 3 agrees, team 1 would play team 4 and 2 vs 3 in the semi final. There would be a possibility of a W/W or E/E final.

Team 1 would be decided on that season's playoff record (ie: Least time played (ie: games played/OT), goals, assists, penalties taken, PIM, whatever).

The major downside of this though, is that with the regional crossovers, some fans may drop out from watching the playoffs earlier than before, especially the finals if it turns into a W/W or E/E final. But... idea wise, it seems like it'd be kinda cool to draft your opponent's opponent? The explanation seems a bit complicated, but I feel like the actuality would be quite simple.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

run this post in July.[/QUOT

run this post in July.

Says the guy who took the time to read it and respond in April....