Eklund: The NHL and NHLPA appear to be OK with this 24 Team Format. Are You?

I'm waiting for mr peanut to anwser that one.

No brackets!!!! Not sure why they go to all this trouble only to add some sort of NCAA bracket system to it. Re-seed!!!!

Not really. 24 teams are too many.

But I get this is a unique situation, so if it gets hockey back I'll take it, and a change could be neat.

I'm still primarily concerned with the draft format, but this shouldn't hurt the top teams' chances...right?

Eklund: The NHL and NHLPA appear to be OK with this 24 Team Format. Are You?
- Eklund

I'm "woke" enough for it.

Whoever plays Montreal should just get a bye price or no price Montreal should be no where near the playoffs!

I preferred it when it was Division based rather than Conference based. Playoffs have always (?) been determined by division.

I also preferred when it was rumored there was only 20 teams in the format.

Both decisions are very obviously intended to give big hockey markets/original 6 inclusion and advantage.

Which is total BS, but whatever, I get its a way to bring in more TV revenue.

Heath wise it does seem a bit excessive to go down to only 2 sites/cities. If something does go wrong it will be bad. On the other side of course is that this creates the least travel and should shorten the window/exposure everyone involved has.

There is no perfect solution and this one is good enough in most ways. I'll just be happy if they can award a Stanley Cup this year. Think missing that would be disheartening.

I do think they should stop dilly dallying and get to it tho. Perfect world they would be playing now. Before the second wave hits and while many are jonesing for entertainment/sport/hockey.

Eklund: The NHL and NHLPA appear to be OK with this 24 Team Format. Are You?
- Eklund

No I'm not. But it appears this is what they're going with. I don't understand the point of the top teams battling for seeding when home ice advantage is meaningless. There's no fans. They're not playing in their own rinks.

I understand if the top 4 teams get byes and are not playing while the other teams are playing, it's a disadvantage. But I'd go with 20 teams. Top seeds play the worst seeds from the start. The teams fighting for the 8th seeds all get to compete in the playoffs. But why should Chicago or Montreal be allowed to participate?

I know the NHL wants to make as much money as they can. Hawks and especially Habs draw huge ratings. But how is it fair for a team like Pittsburgh to be matched up against Montreal? They had 15 more points. The Habs weren't making the playoffs.

But now all bets are off. We don't know which teams will be good and which ones will be bad. Heck the Habs could get hot with a rested Carey Price and win the Cup. The best team won't win this Stanley Cup. It'll be the team which catches lightning in a bottle that wins it.

I know you can't make everyone happy. We'll all complain about something no matter what the criteria is. But there has to be some integrity to this. The biggest fear is a player (or players) getting Covid and it spreading.

But if the NHL is going to go ahead with a playoff then teams who don't deserve to be playing shouldn't be playing. Don't cheapen the regular season which has already been played. Just to get better ratings.

No I'm not. But it appears this is what they're going with. I don't understand the point of the top teams battling for seeding when home ice advantage is meaningless. There's no fans. They're not playing in their own rinks.

I understand if the top 4 teams get byes and are not playing while the other teams are playing, it's a disadvantage. But I'd go with 20 teams. Top seeds play the worst seeds from the start. The teams fighting for the 8th seeds all get to compete in the playoffs. But why should Chicago or Montreal be allowed to participate?

I know the NHL wants to make as much money as they can. Hawks and especially Habs draw huge ratings. But how is it fair for a team like Pittsburgh to be matched up against Montreal? They had 15 more points. The Habs weren't making the playoffs.

But now all bets are off. We don't know which teams will be good and which ones will be bad. Heck the Habs could get hot with a rested Carey Price and win the Cup. The best team won't win this Stanley Cup. It'll be the team which catches lightning in a bottle that wins it.

I know you can't make everyone happy. We'll all complain about something no matter what the criteria is. But there has to be some integrity to this. The biggest fear is a player (or players) getting Covid and it spreading.

But if the NHL is going to go ahead with a playoff then teams who don't deserve to be playing shouldn't be playing. Don't cheapen the regular season which has already been played. Just to get better ratings.
- gergeswillems

I would guess home ice to decide last change?

20 teams wont work. 10 in round two, and then 5 in round 3.

They need byes of some sort to down to 8 teams at some point.

I would guess home ice to decide last change?

20 teams wont work. 10 in round two, and then 5 in round 3.

They need byes of some sort to down to 8 teams at some point.
- david22

Well you could give byes to the top 2 teams in the conferences and go 3 vs 10, 4 vs 9, 5 vs 8 and 6 vs 7.

Second round gets re-seeded. 1 plays the lowest remaining seed. 2 plays second lowest remaining seed. And so forth.

No I'm not. But it appears this is what they're going with. I don't understand the point of the top teams battling for seeding when home ice advantage is meaningless. There's no fans. They're not playing in their own rinks.

I understand if the top 4 teams get byes and are not playing while the other teams are playing, it's a disadvantage. But I'd go with 20 teams. Top seeds play the worst seeds from the start. The teams fighting for the 8th seeds all get to compete in the playoffs. But why should Chicago or Montreal be allowed to participate?

I know the NHL wants to make as much money as they can. Hawks and especially Habs draw huge ratings. But how is it fair for a team like Pittsburgh to be matched up against Montreal? They had 15 more points. The Habs weren't making the playoffs.

But now all bets are off. We don't know which teams will be good and which ones will be bad. Heck the Habs could get hot with a rested Carey Price and win the Cup. The best team won't win this Stanley Cup. It'll be the team which catches lightning in a bottle that wins it.

I know you can't make everyone happy. We'll all complain about something no matter what the criteria is. But there has to be some integrity to this. The biggest fear is a player (or players) getting Covid and it spreading.

But if the NHL is going to go ahead with a playoff then teams who don't deserve to be playing shouldn't be playing. Don't cheapen the regular season which has already been played. Just to get better ratings.
- gergeswillems

Happens a lot, as it should. Tampa a year ago. No one saw Columbus winning, much less a sweep. The Preds in 2017 with Chicago. It's what makes the playoffs the playoffs.

If anything, this will be the most interesting playoff I can remember. Because there's no way to know how teams will respond after the layoff, literally anyone can win it. Personally, I like that. Though a best of 5 game series will be strange to say the least.

No matter what system they come up with, there's going to be haters and people who can't wait to label the champs with an asterisk.

Well you could give byes to the top 2 teams in the conferences and go 3 vs 10, 4 vs 9, 5 vs 8 and 6 vs 7.

Second round gets re-seeded. 1 plays the lowest remaining seed. 2 plays second lowest remaining seed. And so forth.
- gergeswillems

Having a first round bye would put that team at a disadvantage. Other team would be way more conditioned going into that series

Just go with 16

Happens a lot, as it should. Tampa a year ago. No one saw Columbus winning, much less a sweep. The Preds in 2017 with Chicago. It's what makes the playoffs the playoffs.

If anything, this will be the most interesting playoff I can remember. Because there's no way to know how teams will respond after the layoff, literally anyone can win it. Personally, I like that. Though a best of 5 game series will be strange to say the least.

No matter what system they come up with, there's going to be haters and people who can't wait to label the champs with an asterisk.
- FoxMulder

There's a difference. Columbus earned the right to have a chance by qualifying. Chicago and Montreal don't have a right to qualify this season to have a chance of winning in the playoffs. The regular season has to mean something.

There's a difference. Columbus earned the right to have a chance by qualifying. Chicago and Montreal don't have a right to qualify this season.
- gergeswillems

Like I said, no matter what they do, people will complain.

Having a first round bye would put that team at a disadvantage. Other team would be way more conditioned going into that series

Just go with 16
- nigelwright275

It's the tradeoff. The top teams get to be fully healthy when they start the second round. The teams playing in the first round will most likely have a key injury or 2 entering the second round. The whole rust vs rest argument. This way at least the regular season means something. Does anyone really believe the top 4 teams are going to care who wins these games in the round robin? I'm all for the 16 team playoff. But then you'd open up the can of worms like Carolina saying they were screwed. I don't know how you make everyone happy.

The Rogers Place complex in Edmonton has more than 12 locker rooms. Every team can have their own locker room every day.

Like I said, no matter what they do, people will complain.
- FoxMulder

That's basically what it comes down to.

Clearly the best thing would be to do a 30 team bracket and give Detroit the top pick in the draft...

That said, I'm fine with this. The top team seeding games seem a little questionable but whatever. DROP THE PUCK!

Clearly the best thing would be to do a 30 team bracket and give Detroit the top pick in the draft...

That said, I'm fine with this. The top team seeding games seem a little questionable but whatever. DROP THE PUCK!
- Queenie_5_hole

I'd feel better if we knew the league was making these decision to try and be fair and not to manipulate who gets in; but in the end going with overall points by conference is best because the divisional thing is so questionable. How do you justify a team with a worse record getting in over a team with a better record?

I hope they ensure that the 7 teams left out of the playoffs are the only ones eligible for the draft lottery.

Clearly the best thing would be to do a 30 team bracket and give Detroit the top pick in the draft...

That said, I'm fine with this. The top team seeding games seem a little questionable but whatever. DROP THE PUCK!
- Queenie_5_hole

Um...

Wouldn’t Chicago play Dallas if the rankings are conference based?

I'd feel better if we knew the league was making these decision to try and be fair and not to manipulate who gets in; but in the end going with overall points by conference is best because the divisional thing is so questionable. How do you justify a team with a worse record getting in over a team with a better record?

I hope they ensure that the 7 teams left out of the playoffs are the only ones eligible for the draft lottery.
- Queenie_5_hole

I'd go with 10 best teams in each conference based on points percentage. No need to base it on division rankings.

Wouldn’t Chicago play Dallas if the rankings are conference based?
- RQuinn44

I'm not sure. I think I had Chicago and Montreal in mind when they were basing it on top 6 teams in each division qualifying. But if Chicago is one of the top 10 teams in the West based on points percentage, then yes they should be in. In my opinion.

For the play in round, start teams with wins based on current standings. 5 v 12, the 5 seed starts with 2 wins in the best of 5. While 8 v 9 starts even. Makes Chicago or Montreal advancing the long shot it should be.

Re-seed after the play in round.