Playoff Format

[Dirty Mind]

I’d like to see the introduction of a best-of-5 qualifier. Similar to the NBA play-in, except it would be 7vs10 and 8vs9

Shorten the preseason to 5 games to make room for it. Fans will rejoice and we get 4 new potential playoff teams, increasing excitement around the league.

 

[Breakers]

Nah
An NBA GM proposed this a few years ago and I think it is amazing

— 1st overall gets to choose their opponent of the teams that qualified for the playoffs in their conference
— 2nd overall gets to choose their opponent unless selected by 1st
— Etc etc

The intrigue would be intense

 

[Masked]

Top four in each division should make it.

1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in each division.

That's how you build sustained rivalries in your division.

They also need to increase the number of divisional games in the regular season.

 

[Golden_Jet]

This would still make winning the division mean something, but would also ensure the top teams play the bottom teams throughout.

No it doesn’t , division winners get nothing on your scenario, they are obviously guaranteed playoff spot because they won the division. As I’ve never seen one division 8 teams with more points than the other.
The current system acts does, ranking them 1,2.

 

[Lt Dan]

Top four in each division should make it.

1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in each division.

That's how you build sustained rivalries in your division.

They also need to increase the number of divisional games in the regular season.

That's essentially what we have now but the 4 is the wildcard.
The wildcard is needed because of competitive imbalance between the divisions

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Top four in each division should make it.

1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in each division.

That's how you build sustained rivalries in your division.

They also need to increase the number of divisional games in the regular season.

I have always found the logic interesting with the NHL. They drastically decrease the amount of in division games in season...while at the same time making you have to play through your division in the playoffs every year to win in the playoffs lol

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah 1-8 sounds nice but have you considered all these fresh and exciting matchups we haven't seen before?

 

[Golden_Jet]

That's essentially what we have now but the 4 is the wildcard.
The wildcard is needed because of competitive imbalance between the divisions

The 2/3 is the same agree.
And the 1-8, 2-7 (division winners 1,2), the 7,8 no one knows the order, can be all from one division as well.

 

[JKG33]

Top four in each division should make it.

1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in each division.

That's how you build sustained rivalries in your division.

They also need to increase the number of divisional games in the regular season.

We dont need more forced f***ing rivalries from the same old tired matchups. Let them develop organically from a 1v8 format.

 

[Masked]

That's essentially what we have now but the 4 is the wildcard.
The wildcard is needed because of competitive imbalance between the divisions

The wildcard isn't needed. It was added because there was an unequal number of teams in the divisions. That they haven't gotten rid of it at a time that there's an equal number of teams in each divisions strongly suggests there's going to be more expansion.

 

[Masked]

We dont need more forced f***ing rivalries from the same old tired matchups. Let them develop organically from a 1v8 format.

Who the hell thinks that Toronto-Montreal, Battle of Ontario, Battle of Alberta, Montreal-Boston, Rangers/Islanders/Devils/Flyers, LA-Anaheim, Battle of Pennsylvania, Battle of Florida, etc are tired matchups?

 

[bobholly39]

I love unpredictability in matchups. So anything that contributes to that helps for me.

1vs8 works....but I wouldn't even mind 1vs16, personally.

 

[JKG33]

Who the hell thinks that Toronto-Montreal, Battle of Ontario, Battle of Alberta, Montreal-Boston, Rangers/Islanders/Devils/Flyers, LA-Anaheim, Battle of Pennsylvania, Battle of Florida, etc are tired matchups?

How many of those have happened in the divisional format?

Instead all we've gotten is LA-EDM 500 times, NYR-CAR a bunch, TOR-BOS/TB a bunch, and a whole bunch of matchups that wildly imbalance the playoff seeding.

 

[Lt Dan]

The wildcard isn't needed. It was added because there was an unequal number of teams in the divisions. That they haven't gotten rid of it at a time that there's an equal number of teams in each divisions strongly suggests there's going to be more expansion.

It is needed. Look at the central and Atlantic this year.
The Pacific and Metro are obviously weaker.

 

[Machinehead]

Who the hell thinks that Toronto-Montreal, Battle of Ontario, Battle of Alberta, Montreal-Boston, Rangers/Islanders/Devils/Flyers, LA-Anaheim, Battle of Pennsylvania, Battle of Florida, etc are tired matchups?

If the Rangers made the playoffs, they would have played Washington in the first round, and then probably Carolina if they advanced. They did that last year.

In my lifetime, the Rangers have played close to 50 playoff games against the Capitals.

 

[King Woodballs]

The current format is ok. Just re-seed after each round.

My tune will change next year if the jets don’t finish forts and need to deal with the Dallas/Colorado meat grinder

 

[JoVel]

Bettman should bring back the Concorde and then make it 1-16.

 

[Nikishin al Gaib]

1v8, division winners get top 2 seeds per conference, everyone else seeded by record. With only 2 divisions per conference, I don't care about reseeding.

And no on any kind of play-in. There are 82 games over 6 and a half months to decide the playoff field, if you happen to fall just on the outside, thems the breaks. Plus, an extended break between series has routinely negatively impacted the team with the break, so I wouldn't want the top seeds sitting around getting rusty before the first round.

 

[cbcwpg]

As a minimum change it should be1 vs 8 in each conference.

Not that I'm a fan of either team, but in no universe should Dallas and Colorado be playing against each other in the first round.

And IMO, 1 vs 16 doesn't really work because the teams don't play a balanced schedule.

 

[Sheppy]

1 vs 8 in each conference. First place team can choose who they play. 2nd then chooses, and so on.

Lets get crazy.

 

[Dr Pepper]

The current format is ok. Just re-seed after each round.

My tune will change next year if the jets don’t finish forts and need to deal with the Dallas/Colorado meat grinder

Gotta go through that grinder either way in R2, just like Stars and Avs fans know whoever wins this series likely has the Jets waiting for them.

As a minimum change it should be1 vs 8 in each conference.

Not that I'm a fan of either team, but in no universe should Dallas and Colorado be playing against each other in the first round.

And IMO, 1 vs 16 doesn't really work because the teams don't play a balanced schedule.

The fact that both of these teams racked up more points than both LA and Edmonton - and yet one of them still has to start on the road in the first round - makes it look even worse.

But hey, rivalries!

League doesn't care.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

i saw a twitter post of what it would look like if NHL had same as NBA with play in - it certainly looked pretty good this year and lined up well

 

[JKG33]

i saw a twitter post of what it would look like if NHL had same as NBA with play in - it certainly looked pretty good this year and lined up well

The play-in can f*** off. I already barely see 7 playoff quality teams in each conference, no way in hell should 9 or 10 get a shot.

 

[Masked]

It is needed. Look at the central and Atlantic this year.
The Pacific and Metro are obviously weaker.

It isn't needed. If you're not one of the top four teams in your division, you shouldn't be in the playoffs. If you're just competing against the conference as a whole, why bother even having divisions?

 

[JKG33]

It isn't needed. If you're not one of the top four teams in your division, you shouldn't be in the playoffs. If you're just competing against the conference as a whole, why bother even having divisions?

Your terms are acceptable.