The current playoffs format is BROKEN

[WarriorofTime]

The worst part is when two central division times have an 8:50 pm local puck drop. Just stagger the games, nobody is sitting around watching every game back to back.

 

[Pucklington]

Tampa and Colorado werent true contenders tho.

Nor any team in East outside Florida.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Nor any team in East outside Florida.

So what’s the issue? The 3 good teams in the league are still alive

 

[Gizmoskevich]

Question, do you think the Canes should be happy that they made the ECF? Do you honestly think they are "close," to a cup? Im looking at all the ECF finals since 1994 and your caps/Pens comment isn't close to being true lol.

I think people are shitting on the Canes too much when they’re just a bad matchup vs Florida. Even if they had an “easier” path to the ECF, they still had to win their games in front of them.

 

[T REX]

I think people are shitting on the Canes too much when they’re just a bad matchup vs Florida. Even if they had an “easier” path to the ECF, they still had to win their games in front of them.

Is it possible that neutral fans would like the best teams playing in the WCF/ECF? Is it possible the networks would as well? And even if you had a lower seed knock off a 1 or 2 seed you now have that Cinderella element which is HUGE for ratings. People love cheering for the underdog. This format is an abomination.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Do you watch the NFL at all? DO you think they would do something like divisional playoffs? Why not?

NFL teams play one game per week. It doesn't need to do divisional playoffs.

It's terrible format. I'm surprised that GMs of teams eliminated due to this atrocity didn't raise their voices in off-season. It should be back to 1-8 with re-seeding each round long time ago. The funny thing is they did the good format in the bubble, then they want back to this atrocity.

Why do you think they did that in the bubble?

 

[Halakitlikethat]

1 vs 8 was never the way it was outlined in the OP. The division winners always got the top 3 spots.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

What result did we not get that we “deserve” as fans?

I mean, the OP picker winners for the imaginary “better” matchups but unless they’re just going to let the OP decide who wins playoff series none of those was guaranteed.

 

[wgknestrick]

The only thing broken is allowing teams to not have to be cap compliant during the playoffs. We've seen enough of this over the past 5 years to show that cup championship teams greatly exploit this loophole.

3 out of the 4 remaining teams are all 10+ million OVER the cap limit and also 1-3 of the highest cap teams.

CapWages | NHL Salary Cap Data

CapWages track real-time NHL salary cap data, player contracts & team cap space for 2024-25. Analyze cap hits, retained salaries, LTIR exceptions, and compliance buyouts with interactive tools.

capwages.com

 

[Hotsam Batcho]

Florida was shit from 1996-2022, did they attract anyone then? Their off ice incentive only gets brought up when they are good. What happened between those years I mentioned?

Was the salary cap in place during that time frame?

 

[chaser17]

Florida has quite a bit of off ice incentive to attract quality players. Can't say the same for many other NHL teams.

Same goes for Vegas, who have acquired multiple star players in short order.

 

[NYRnine94]

We are done. Thank you for finally admitting it. Carry on with your diatribes about jealous fans...smdh.

Nonsense.

Keep whining about it and see if you get anywhere with that. Enjoy the weekend.

 

[OilerTyler]

The only thing broken is allowing teams to not have to be cap compliant during the playoffs. We've seen enough of this over the past 5 years to show that cup championship teams greatly exploit this loophole.

3 out of the 4 remaining teams are all 10+ million OVER the cap limit and also 1-3 of the highest cap teams.

CapWages | NHL Salary Cap Data

CapWages track real-time NHL salary cap data, player contracts & team cap space for 2024-25. Analyze cap hits, retained salaries, LTIR exceptions, and compliance buyouts with interactive tools.

capwages.com

Those cap numbers include the "black aces" called up by each squad since there are no roster limits in the playoffs.

The Oilers currently have 19 forwards, 11 defenceman and 4 goalies on their roster. A good chunk of those players are never going to play and are just with the team for the experience. If they had to have a 23 man roster like in the regular season they'd be under the cap

 

[TheDoldrums]

Changing the format to try and create rivalries is such an asinine plan.

The rivalries were much more intense and present during the 90's and early 2000's before these changes. It's literally impossible for good divisional rivals to play in the conference finals, silly.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Changing the format to try and create rivalries is such an asinine plan.

The rivalries were much more intense and present during the 90's and early 2000's before these changes. It's literally impossible for good divisional rivals to play in the conference finals, silly.

They did it to cut down on cross time zone travel in the West. Same reason Detroit, Columbus, and Toronto all cried their way out to get into the East.

The question then is, why do the two conferences, which exist in different time zone realities, have to have identical playoff formats if they're not going to cross each other until the Final? Why can the East not be 1-8, while the West gets to choose what they want to do? Be it 1-8, this wild card, or a strict top 4 per division.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

NFL teams play one game per week. It doesn't need to do divisional playoffs.



Why do you think they did that in the bubble?

They couldn't make it that terrible divisional bracket, because teams didn't play the same amount of games.

 

[JJ68]

I think people are shitting on the Canes too much when they’re just a bad matchup vs Florida. Even if they had an “easier” path to the ECF, they still had to win their games in front of them.

the problem with Carolina is that they are first of all super boring....and that probably coincides with the fact they are super soft. No game with Carolina has emotion and or any hostility.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Why did things change from 1 to 8 playoff seeding to what is now divisional playoffs?

They also changed from divisional to 1-8, then back to divisional. It’s a bit of hybrid now of the 2 with the wild cards.

Seems like some like the bracket playoff format.

 

[Hoek]

This whole "you wouldn't be complaining if your team is dominant" argument is false. It was boring af when we were dominant knowing what matchup we were locked into months in advance. We've repeated several first round matchups at least once. It's just boring even if you win them all. The fact that it makes the conference final potentially much worse is just another downside on top of that.

 

[D1az]

I'm all for a clear 1 vs 8 format, as I'm not at all a fan of the current one.
Completely skipped even watching the highlights from LA vs Edmonton. I've already seen that playoff-introduction.

 

[crowi]

Was the salary cap in place during that time frame?

Salary cap is there to keep salaries in check so owners don't have to pay the players as much. Your argument is weak and illogical.

This is elementary shit.

 

[Hotsam Batcho]

Salary cap is there to keep salaries in check so owners don't have to pay the players as much. Your argument is weak and illogical.

This is elementary shit.

You're basically helping my argument without knowing what my argument is.

 

[coolboarder]

I propose eliminating the wild card and replacing the current playoff format with a new divisional structure. My plan involves creating eight divisions and removing the conference-based schedule, focusing instead on divisional games during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, matchups will be a straightforward 1 versus 2 within each division. The division winners will be crowned divisional champions for the year, resulting in eight division winners advancing. From round two to round four, matchups will be seeded as follows: 1 versus 8, 2 versus 7, 3 versus 6, and 4 versus 5. The semifinals will be reseeded with 1 versus 4 and 2 versus 3. This format ensures the best possible teams reach the Stanley Cup Final, regardless of their geographic location, potentially allowing a top-two matchup from the West to create an all-Western final. It’s possible that two top teams from the same division could meet in the first round due to the schedule matrix works. The regular season will consist of eight divisional games—four home and four away—for a total of 24 games, plus two games (home and away) against each non-divisional team, totaling 56 games. This brings the regular season to 80 games, a number consistent with the traditional total from the expansion era. If the goal is to reduce the number of games, this format sacrifices only one home game’s revenue, rather than two or three games worth.

For rounds 2 through 4 of the proposed playoff series, matchups will be determined by each team’s overall regular-season record, excluding divisional game results, to establish their reseeding standings. This approach prevents a top team in a weaker division from accumulating points that secure home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, eliminating the influence of divisional win-loss records to balance competition in rounds 2 to 4 while maintaining the regular season’s importance. The teams with the best non-divisional records will be seeded 1 through 8. Due to the regular season’s unpredictability, I propose a 2-3-2 playoff series format for rounds 2 through 4 to reduce travel, while round 1 will use a 2-2-1-1-1 format.

To address concerns about travel and fairness, the top seed in each series will choose whether to start the series at home or away, minimizing complaints about playing three consecutive road games in the middle of a 2-3-2 series and reducing the risk of the away team splitting games. The top seed also selects the series format from the following options: 2-2-1-1-1, 2-3-2, 3-4, 1-2-2-1-1, 2-3-1-1 or 1-3-3. The lower seed must have at least two consecutive home games before game 4 or three home games before game 6. The top seed can determine the number of home or away games before game 4 but must ensure the lower seed has two consecutive home games before game 4. The series format must be finalized before the first game is played, adding excitement and strategic depth to the playoffs.

My proposal for realignment:

• Division 1 (Far West): Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks
• Division 2 (Pacific): Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames
• Division 3 (Mountain): Utah Hockey Club, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild
• Division 4 (Central West): Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks
• Division 5 (Central East): Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadephia Flyers, Washington Capitals.
• Division 6 (Great Lakes): Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets
• Division 7 (Atlantic): New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins
• Division 8 (Southeast): New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers

Of realignment notes and reasonings, I wanted to split up all NY based teams from one division and basically every northeast teams in Canada and the United States are so close geographically and all of those teams make sense if you remove all 3 NY teams but I aligns them based on the past playoffs rivalries that made sense. Feel free to blender this realignment but I wanted this to be 8 division with 4 teams with my new playoff proposal.

You will get only one boring round, the divisional playoff series for round 1. Rest of the way, you get some variety of match-up is what you wanted all along.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Kings don't look so oof in comparison now

The West Conf Finals WAS The Kings & Oils

So yeah, this current format is punishing for the 2nd/3rd seeds on both conferences

 

[coolboarder]

I propose eliminating the wild card and replacing the current playoff format with a new divisional structure. My plan involves creating eight divisions and removing the conference-based schedule, focusing instead on divisional games during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, matchups will be a straightforward 1 versus 2 within each division. The division winners will be crowned divisional champions for the year, resulting in eight division winners advancing. From round two to round four, matchups will be seeded as follows: 1 versus 8, 2 versus 7, 3 versus 6, and 4 versus 5. The semifinals will be reseeded with 1 versus 4 and 2 versus 3. This format ensures the best possible teams reach the Stanley Cup Final, regardless of their geographic location, potentially allowing a top-two matchup from the West to create an all-Western final. It’s possible that two top teams from the same division could meet in the first round due to the schedule matrix works. The regular season will consist of eight divisional games—four home and four away—for a total of 24 games, plus two games (home and away) against each non-divisional team, totaling 56 games. This brings the regular season to 80 games, a number consistent with the traditional total from the expansion era. If the goal is to reduce the number of games, this format sacrifices only one home game’s revenue, rather than two or three games worth.

For rounds 2 through 4 of the proposed playoff series, matchups will be determined by each team’s overall regular-season record, excluding divisional game results, to establish their reseeding standings. This approach prevents a top team in a weaker division from accumulating points that secure home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, eliminating the influence of divisional win-loss records to balance competition in rounds 2 to 4 while maintaining the regular season’s importance. The teams with the best non-divisional records will be seeded 1 through 8. Due to the regular season’s unpredictability, I propose a 2-3-2 playoff series format for rounds 2 through 4 to reduce travel, while round 1 will use a 2-2-1-1-1 format.

To address concerns about travel and fairness, the top seed in each series will choose whether to start the series at home or away, minimizing complaints about playing three consecutive road games in the middle of a 2-3-2 series and reducing the risk of the away team splitting games. The top seed also selects the series format from the following options: 2-2-1-1-1, 2-3-2, 3-4, 1-2-2-1-1, 2-3-1-1 or 1-3-3. The lower seed must have at least two consecutive home games before game 4 or three home games before game 6. The top seed can determine the number of home or away games before game 4 but must ensure the lower seed has two consecutive home games before game 4. The series format must be finalized before the first game is played, adding excitement and strategic depth to the playoffs.

My proposal for realignment:

• Division 1 (Far West): Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks
• Division 2 (Pacific): Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames
• Division 3 (Mountain): Utah Hockey Club, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild
• Division 4 (Central West): Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks
• Division 5 (Central East): Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadephia Flyers, Washington Capitals.
• Division 6 (Great Lakes): Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets
• Division 7 (Atlantic): New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins
• Division 8 (Southeast): New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers

Of realignment notes and reasonings, I wanted to split up all NY based teams from one division and basically every northeast teams in Canada and the United States are so close geographically and all of those teams make sense if you remove all 3 NY teams but I aligns them based on the past playoffs rivalries that made sense. Feel free to blender this realignment but I wanted this to be 8 division with 4 teams with my new playoff proposal.

You will get only one boring round, the divisional playoff series for round 1. Rest of the way, you get some variety of match-up is what you wanted all along.

To give you some idea, I used AI to simulate 2025-26 what the playoff might look like: Some of the strong teams might not make it but you get some idea.

Round 1: Divisional Matchups (2-2-1-1-1 Format)
Each division’s top two teams face off, with the higher seed starting at home.

• Division 1: Vegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Los Angeles Kings (2)
  • Vegas leverages their balanced roster and home ice, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Vegas Golden Knights
• Division 2: Edmonton Oilers (1) vs. Vancouver Canucks (2)
  • Edmonton’s offensive stars (McDavid, Draisaitl) overpower Vancouver, winning in 5 games (4-1).
  • Winner: Edmonton Oilers
• Division 3: Colorado Avalanche (1) vs. Winnipeg Jets (2)
  • Colorado’s depth and speed dominate, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Colorado Avalanche
• Division 4: Dallas Stars (1) vs. Nashville Predators (2)
  • Dallas’ strong goaltending and defense prevail in a tight series, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: Dallas Stars
• Division 5: Washington Capitals (1) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
  • Washington’s experience edges out Pittsburgh’s resurgence, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Washington Capitals
• Division 6: Toronto Maple Leafs (1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (2)
  • Toronto’s offensive firepower overcomes Buffalo, winning in 5 games (4-1).
  • Winner: Toronto Maple Leafs
• Division 7: New York Rangers (1) vs. Boston Bruins (2)
  • Rangers’ goaltending and depth outlast Boston in a hard-fought series, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: New York Rangers
• Division 8: Florida Panthers (1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (2)
  • Florida’s championship experience shines, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Florida Panthers

Non-Divisional Records for Rounds 2–4 Seeding
Assuming a balanced non-divisional schedule, I’ll rank the division winners by hypothetical non-divisional points percentages (based on 2024-25 trends adjusted for your realignment):

1. Florida Panthers (0.720 points %)
2. New York Rangers (0.700)
3. Colorado Avalanche (0.690)
4. Dallas Stars (0.680)
5. Edmonton Oilers (0.670)
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (0.660)
7. Vegas Golden Knights (0.650)
8. Washington Capitals (0.640)

• Florida Panthers (1) vs. Washington Capitals (8)
  • Format: Florida chooses 2-3-2 (default, reduces travel). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Florida (Games 1-2), Washington (Games 3-5, consecutive for games 3-4), Florida (Games 6-7).
  • Outcome: Florida’s depth and playoff experience dominate, winning in 5 games (4-1).
  • Winner: Florida Panthers
• New York Rangers (2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (7)
  • Format: Rangers choose 2-2-1-1-1 (preferring balanced travel). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Rangers (Games 1-2), Vegas (Games 3-4, consecutive), Rangers (Game 5), Vegas (Game 6), Rangers (Game 7).
  • Outcome: Rangers’ goaltending edges Vegas’ offense in a close series, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: New York Rangers
• Colorado Avalanche (3) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (6)
  • Format: Colorado chooses 2-3-2 (travel-friendly). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Colorado (Games 1-2), Toronto (Games 3-5, consecutive for games 3-4), Colorado (Games 6-7).
  • Outcome: Colorado’s speed overwhelms Toronto’s offense, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Colorado Avalanche
• Dallas Stars (4) vs. Edmonton Oilers (5)
  • Format: Dallas chooses 3-3-1 (aggressive home start). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Dallas (Games 1-3), Edmonton (Games 4-6, consecutive for games 4-5), Dallas (Game 7).
  • Outcome: Edmonton’s star power outlasts Dallas’ defense, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: Edmonton Oilers

---

Round 3: Reseeded Matchups (Top Seed Chooses Format)
The four remaining teams are reseeded: 1. Florida Panthers, 2. New York Rangers, 3. Colorado Avalanche, 4. Edmonton Oilers. Matchups are 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3.

• Florida Panthers (1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (4)
  • Format: Florida chooses 2-3-2 (travel-friendly). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Florida (Games 1-2), Edmonton (Games 3-5, consecutive for games 3-4), Florida (Games 6-7).
  • Outcome: Florida’s balanced attack edges Edmonton’s offense in a thrilling series, winning in 6 games (4-2).
  • Winner: Florida Panthers
• New York Rangers (2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (3)
  • Format: Rangers choose 2-2-1-1-1 (balanced). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Rangers (Games 1-2), Colorado (Games 3-4, consecutive), Rangers (Game 5), Colorado (Game 6), Rangers (Game 7).
  • Outcome: Colorado’s depth overcomes Rangers’ goaltending, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: Colorado Avalanche

---

Stanley Cup Final: Reseeded Matchup (Top Seed Chooses Format)
The two remaining teams are reseeded: 1. Florida Panthers, 2. Colorado Avalanche.

• Florida Panthers (1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (2)
  • Format: Florida chooses 2-3-2 (travel-friendly). Starts at home.
  • Home/Away: Florida (Games 1-2), Colorado (Games 3-5, consecutive for games 3-4), Florida (Games 6-7).
  • Outcome: In a high-scoring, competitive series, Florida’s championship experience and home-ice advantage in game 7 secure the Stanley Cup, winning in 7 games (4-3).
  • Winner: Florida Panthers