Teams should rest players regularly

[Menzinger]

And teams miss the playoffs.

NBA playoffs are set before the NHL. once NHL teams make the playoffs they start resting their players. unless they want home ice advantage.

Maybe some teams wouldn't miss the playoffs if their star players were able to hit peak performance every game they played if they got some extra rest throughout the season rather than play every game and sometimes only be able to give 60-70% effort due to fatigue some nights. Maybe players also wouldn't be injured as long or as often.

 

[zeke]

games on back-to-back nights should be banned permanently.

 

[Legionnaire11]

It's not so much just the number of games that creates back-to-back scheduling, it's the arena availability. If every NHL arena was available every night of the season, you'd never see back-to-back games or road trips longer than three games.

It's not as easy as saying "cut 8 games from the schedule, eliminate back-to-backs"

 

[Albatros]

At most 60 regular season games and the level would go up tremendously.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Good players want more ice time not less.
They can rest off season.

 

[Aladyyn]

Good players want more ice time not less.
They can rest off season.

Dan Bylsma broke Ryan O'Reilly by February both seasons he coached him.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Dan Bylsma broke Ryan O'Reilly by February both seasons he coached him.

Blysma is a brutal coach

 

[tarheelhockey]

The problem is, you rest your top players and you get an AHL-level scrub on the roster as a result. That is very likely to cost you games. Unless you’re an absolute lock for the #1 seed, losing those extra games could hurt your playoff chances. So your star player is better but your playoff chances are worse... is that really a win?

 

[BrokenFace]

Not a hockey player but it makes sense to rest people whose profession it is to push their bodies athletically against other people doing the same thing. You see teams doing it every year at the end of the season after they clinch a playoff spot, so there is already an acknowledged benefit to it within the sport. It also gives a chance for less used players to stay in good form or to prove themselves.

Soccer teams rotate their players during the season even though they play less frequently, their sport is less physically damaging, and they have no playoffs so their regular season games count for everything. Soccer is also similar to hockey in that it demands chemistry from team mates. Of course in hockey you have unlimited substitutions so you can manage minutes during a game, but if rotating players provides a benefit in soccer then I expect it would work in hockey.

I also think there is huge potential for teams to be smarter with their 4th lines, which would allow 4th lines to play more minutes and give coaches the option to reduce minutes for the top lines if fatigue is an issue.

 

[Butch 19]

Same games, shorter preseason, longer season, no back to backs.

Back-to-back games are fine, teams should have them at least 2 or 3x a month.

In fact they should play b-t-b in the first playoff round too.

 

[Iapyi]

the players are young healthy men who make millions of dollars to play a game. they can and should play each and every game.

 

[aufheben]

I know this is unpopular in the NBA, but the NHL is a more physical league than the NBA and the players would really benefit from it. There would be fewer injuries, more star players would emerge, and the playoffs would be better. Also, this would show the NHL that 82 games is too many.

Teams could coordinate so they could rest them during the same game... or not. One team could do this on their own and the benefits would outweigh the costs big time.

For example, teams should be resting their best players on one game of a back-to-back unless they absolutely need the win.

They already do this...

 

[Hynh]

On the contrary, I feel the star forwards should play 20-22 mins regularly. What’s the point of advancement in sports science and recovery if you don’t see an increase in ice time for your top players.

Applications of scientific advancement are knowing what not to do just as much as they are knowing what to do.

 

[Martinez]

Standings are too close to do this. If you're killing it in first place multiple points ahead of the next team, then sure.

 

[BM14]

f***ing millennials.

 

[alko]

Records will be affected negatively.

 

[Peat]

This thread proves why it won't happen, or at least not any time soon, but squad rotation is part and parcel of a lot of physical sports. More rest equals higher peak performance. If you're only winning trophies if you turn up at certain points of the season, it makes sense to be sure you turn up then.

The Pens gave less ice time than they could have to Sid & Geno last season. I'm not sure they win Stanley if they hadn't. And the beat writers are pretty free with saying that the org thinks that Murray's freshness was a big part in his post-season performance and that they'll try to give Niemi plenty of starts.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

It's not so much just the number of games that creates back-to-back scheduling, it's the arena availability. If every NHL arena was available every night of the season, you'd never see back-to-back games or road trips longer than three games.

It's not as easy as saying "cut 8 games from the schedule, eliminate back-to-backs"

Yup sums it perfectly. I'd love less back to backs, but other than revenue, scheduling plays such a big role here.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

This would be hilarious.

On this board, Crosby could have 100pts in 79 games and the Pens can rest him in 3 and someone can beat him by 3pts in 82 games and they'd hail that person better.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Im not sure what the point of resting players would be.. other than few games before the playoffs when you have a spot locked.

Chance for an injury in one game is still the same even after resting. All games are competitive, often your star players are the difference between being mediocre or good, fans want to see the best team you can ice.

I can't think of anything that just trumps all these things and makes me say no yeah you're right.

 

[Binary Code]

It's part of the game. I don't think a back to back game is too hard for a pro athlete to play ..

 

[Gil Gunderson]

1 or 2 wins can be the difference between winning your division and finishing in a wildcard spot.

It's not happening.

 

[koyvoo]

True

 

[Eyeseeing]

****ing millennials.

No they researched it thoroughly.
Must have Googled 2 or 3 sites on over training.
They gotta be right.

 

[Brockon]

I'd just like to point out that both Tampa and the Isles missed the playoffs by 1 point last year. Imagine the outrage if Kucherov or Tavares had been "rested" for any games, not needed to recover from injury.

Also of note, the difference between 1st in the Atlantic division and missing the playoffs was 9 points - not a big deal. But between 2nd in the Atlantic and missing the playoffs was 4 points. Boston and Toronto were 1 point ahead of Tampa and the Islanders for the last division spot and last wildcard spot in the East.

Or if you look at 2016, where Boston didn't make the playoffs because of a tiebreaker going to Detroit.

I wouldn't say there is anything resembling league parity, given that the Rangers 102 points last season was good for 1st wildcard as a Metropolitan team, but 1 point back on Montreal's 103 point 1st place finish in the Atlantic division. What about Calgary and Nashville each finishing with 94 points for the west wildcards, 7 points ahead of Winnipeg and 8 points ahead of LA? Those point totals are non-playoff finishes in the Eastern conference.

With things that close at the bottom, they can't afford to rest players at all. And the teams above them can't afford to lose points either, or they risk their own spot in the playoffs until the very end of the season after they clinch a spot.