Gary Bettman said he didn’t have time to think about realignment and geography when they quickly added Utah to the mix.
Lucky for him, I’ve gone ahead and done the heavy lifting.
The format?
Eight divisions of four teams.
And a schedule that works.https://t.co/MnwzJf8x4x
– Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) April 29, 2024
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It’s normal: it changes the game.
He’s decided to go with an eight-division, four-club format. I don’t think it’s the ideal format for the NHL since Gary Bettman wants parity, but hey: his thinking is interesting.
But I thought I’d take it a step further, inspired by his text: what will the NHL do if it goes to 36 clubs? After all, it’s going to take a major change.
And don’t hold your breath too much: even if Quebec City could be considered (by default, no doubt), Kansas City should have the NHL’s 36th team in due course.
So here’s how I’d form the divisions with those clubs.
The Canadiens’ division would be made up of the three Eastern Canadian teams, the Sabres, the Red Wings and the Bruins. In short, the current division… without the Florida clubs.
Finally, in the East, the two Florida teams the Hurricanes, the Atlanta team, the Predators and the Blue Jackets would form a South division. Columbus would be there by default. The plan isn’t perfect for everyone.
In the West, Canada’s four teams, the Kraken and the Wild would form a perfect North Division.
The three California teams wouldn’t have to travel far to play in Salt Lake City, Arizona and Las Vegas. It would be a logical division for them.
You need teams that “scoop” a little.
The way I see it, each team should play teams outside the division at least twice. I’m not for that, but Gary Bettman is for it.
That would leave 22 games to divide up to get to 82. It’s easy to take 20 and make it four games per division rival.
What about the other two? We can either redistribute them within the division, remove them (to get to 80, but I don’t believe It #MoneyTalks) or do it like in the NFL.
In the NFL, a club that finishes first in its division plays the other champions of the Association’s divisions. That could redistribute the two extra games.
Then we’d get to the playoffs. In my opinion, we shouldn’t have more than 16 teams in the playoffs, to avoid diluting the talent.
Imagine if the Penguins, Flyers and Red Wings of 2023-2024 were currently in the playoffs… while having lost many players to FOUR expansion clubs: that would be tough.
The world that wants to increase the number of playoff teams hasn’t watched the Capitals play in the playoffs.
– Simon-Olivier Lorange (@SO_Lorange) April 27, 2024
Another reason why I don’t want too many clubs in the playoffs? It would force a play-in like in basketball, and I don’t think ordinary teams deserve a bigger platform.
MLB has also taught us that resting the top teams too much cuts into their momentum. Over the past two years, the league’s powerhouses have often lost momentum in the playoffs.
Unless we start the season early (which is what Pierre LeBrun and many others want), we mustn’t extend the playoffs. Let’s face it, there are limits to finishing too late.
Oh, and one last thing: I can’t wait for the “1 vs. 8” format in the playoffs…
Breaking news
– Read more.
Winning at a cost: Is wear and tear impacting #Canucks captain Quinn Hughes’ play and deployment?
A deep dive on Hughes’ series so far from an eye test, data and deployment perspective.
All of which heightens the urgency for #Canucks in Game 5.
Link: https://t.co/Q44aKHX9Is pic.twitter.com/pjeF6sPPBg
– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 29, 2024
– What’s behind the goaltenders’ lack of success in the playoffs? [BPM Sports]
– Charlie Lindgren at the World Championship?
Hockey note:
Expecting Charlie Lindgren to be a strong candidate for the
roster at Men’s Worlds, following the Caps’ elimination.
USA Hockey officials have kept some spots available for players involved in first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. @NHLNetwork
– Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 29, 2024
