Should the NHL change its playoff format?

Should the NHL change its playoff format?
March 14, 2017, 11:34 AM ET [35 Comments]
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In this edition of the hotstove we discuss whether the NHL should change its playoff format.

Todd Cordell

I get wanting to have division rivals square off as much as possible -- rivalry games are fun -- but this format needs to go.

The four teams with the highest point totals in the East play in the Metro Division. If the playoffs started today, two of those four teams would be starting on the road and Columbus, a team one point out of 1st in the NHL, would be playing in Pittsburgh. That's a nice reward for a great season!

Under this format, the Jackets, who are tied for the league lead in wins, would be forced to go through Pittsburgh and then Washington in the first two rounds. Meanwhile, the Bruins could theoretically play Ottawa and Montreal in the first two rounds. Why should a team with 14 fewer points than Columbus get a significantly easier path? It just doesn't make sense.

Scrap this format, go back to the 1-8, 2-7, etc. in each conference and let teams that deserve it host.

James Tanner

The NHL should definitely be changing its playoff format.

They should adopt a 1-16 format and end the idea of conferences altogether.

Since that's not really feasible from a travel perspective, they should at least seed the teams 1-8.

They should not care who wins a division or if most teams come from the same one. This will prevent embarrassing situations where (potentially) the Capitals or Penguins are first-round Wild Card "underdogs" to the Ottawa Senators, which isn't a situation that is completely out of the question.

This would also make the regular season more meaningful by giving easier 1st round series to the best teams.

Peter Tessier

Change? With the NHL? Sure why not but let's do this in a way that makes sense for the fans first okay?

Here's what I would do.

1. Drop the regular season games to 78
2. Give a bigger advantage to the top 6 teams in each conference by giving them a week off.
3. Make a 4 team 'tournament' in each conference to play into the post season. Teams 7-10 play a round robin qualification with top two teams getting in.
4. Make the first round a best of 5 series instead of 7.

This will not happen for several reasons because owners will not want to give up 4 games of revenue for some teams, nor would they want to lose possible revenue in first round either. But could that be a negotiation point for CBA in the future.

Here's why it's a good idea. The 7-10 teams are where parity really is and give them a chance to play some meaningful hockey in March and April with an create a some drama. Also, make the first round shorter to build up the drama. The first round is fun but when more than a few series stretch past five games it wears. The sooner the NHL can wrap up the playoffs the better it is for players for breast and recuperation. Think about the product before the revenue and the revenue will come.