Hockey Dad
Registered User
Dallas fans get screwed. That is what we had to deal with before. Right now is a 2 hour time difference.
I will never, ever understand this American obsession with giving rewards for winning your division. This isn't baseball or football where the concept makes sense due to how the schedule works. Seed them 1-8 in the conference and be done with it.
If you're going to have divisions, they need to mean something
Dallas fans get screwed. That is what we had to deal with before. Right now is a 2 hour time difference.
They really, really don't. The NHL has never improved its playoff structure by giving preference to teams based off the division that they play in.
I will never, ever understand this American obsession with giving rewards for winning your division. This isn't baseball or football where the concept makes sense due to how the schedule works. Seed them 1-8 in the conference and be done with it.
Lets say you have 2 divisions. We'll take the central and pacific.
Now let's say the final standings were like this.
Chicago - 92
Minnesota - 91
St. Louis - 90
Nashville - 89
Winnipeg - 88
Dallas - 87
Colorado - 84
San Jose - 136
Anaheim - 124
Edmonton - 54
Calgary - 50
Los Angeles - 46
Vancouver - 44
Arizona - 40
Let's also say...that Edmonton through Arizona are terrible this year, and all the Central teams are good... and San Jose / Anaheim have inflated points because of their easy division, but they're on par with most of the Central teams.
You'd still have a problem with Chicago getting the #2 seed in the West for winning it's division?
Lets say you have 2 divisions. We'll take the central and pacific.
Now let's say the final standings were like this.
Chicago - 92
Minnesota - 91
St. Louis - 90
Nashville - 89
Winnipeg - 88
Dallas - 87
Colorado - 84
San Jose - 136
Anaheim - 124
Edmonton - 54
Calgary - 50
Los Angeles - 46
Vancouver - 44
Arizona - 40
Let's also say...that Edmonton through Arizona are terrible this year, and all the Central teams are good... and San Jose / Anaheim have inflated points because of their easy division, but they're on par with most of the Central teams.
You'd still have a problem with Chicago getting the #2 seed in the West for winning it's division?
Only if QC gets Team 32. All that needs to be done when the league does finally expand is eliminate the wildcard. Top four in each division make the playoffs.Doubt they'd separate the Pennsylvania teams. Also think when they go to 32 teams they'll do some sort of realignment.
Next year with 31 teams it will be unavoidable. There's no way to split them such that divisions are equal in teams.