One of the biggest criticisms of the current NHL playoffs is the relatively unusual format. The format, as it stands, sees the two division winners face the wild card teams, with the second and third place teams in each division squaring off against one another in the first round.
Initially, the format was exciting. It created rivalries and boosted engagement. But after some time, the format has gotten stale. It seems like year after year, the same teams face one another. The same divisional matchups get replicated in either the first or second rounds.
A good example of how stale the NHL playoffs have gotten is the yearly LA Kings-Edmonton Oilers first-round matchup. The Kings faced the Oilers four years in a row in the first round, losing every time.
This year, however, may be different. The Kings risk missing the playoffs, while the Oilers are hanging on to a postseason berth by the skin of their teeth.
That said, there is no way the NHL playoffs will be changing any time soon. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman seems hellbent on keeping his postseason brainchild just the way it is. Meanwhile, other voices have explicitly advocated for a specific change: A play-in round.
As insider Darren Dreger noted, just about everyone in the NHL wants to see a change except for Bettman.
“All the people I’ve talked about, billionaires, most powerful men in hockey, have not been able to convince Commissioner Bettman that this is a good idea.”
What this situation means is that the NHL playoffs are unlikely to change as long as Bettman is running the league. The owners, for their part, don’t seem too keen on getting rid of Bettman. So, fans are pretty much stuck with the NHL playoffs as they are.
NHL Playoffs Could Benefit from Play-In Round
The NHL playoffs could benefit from a play-in round similar to the one in the NBA. In this round, ninth and tenth-place teams have a chance to face seventh and eighth-place clubs for the remaining two playoff spots in each conference.
MLB implemented a similar approach with a winner-take-all wild card game. One game that would determine which teams move on to a best-of-three wild card. From there, the winners face division winners that earned a bye into the Divisional Series.
Such a format could spur a lot more excitement as there would be less predictability in first-round playoff matchups. And that’s precisely what’s killing the NHL playoffs. There is far too much predictability. In some cases, first-round matchups are decided months in advance, leaving little room for anticipation.
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A Play-In Round Already Worked for NHL
During the COVID NHL playoffs in 2020, the league decided to implement a type of play-in round to determine the first-round matchups. The league went ahead with the format after the COVID pandemic abruptly interrupted the season. Since not all teams had played the same number of games and not all teams were on equal footing, the league decided to hold a play-in round.
That round created numerous matchups that wouldn’t have otherwise happened. There were interdivisional matchups and “playoff” series that had never happened before. Despite the unpleasantness of the pandemic, it built plenty of hype and expectation among fans. For instance, the Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference play-in round. In the West, the Calgary Flames faced the Winnipeg Jets. Under the current format of the NHL playoffs, the only way the Leafs would face the Blue Jackets or the Jets would face the Flames would be in their respective Conference Finals.
Ultimately, a play-in round would certainly enhance the overall visibility of the game and boost fan engagement down to the wire. But that’s something that fans may have to wait a while to see.
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