Insider suggests a major change to the playoff structure

NHL columnist suggested in a tweet that everything could look a lot different if the NHL moved to a play in style tournament for the playoffs

Apron Basu, a senior columnist on the Canadiens for the Athletic put out to the universe on X last night a suggestion that has been thought of before, but maybe be gaining some ground.





This play-in style tournament is something that the NBA has been using where the 7th and 8th seeds play in a one game "playoff", and the 9th and 10th seeds also do the same.

Looking at it from the NHL this season, in the East, we would be looking at the seventh-seed Tampa Bay Lightning vs the eight-seed Washington Capitals. The ninth-seeded Detroit Red Wings would take on the 10th-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins.

The NHL on TNT analysts discussed this option recently as well.



That would make for some amazing hockey right before starting the playoffs. Especially the way the Penguins have recently been playing. Some critics feel that it gives a lower seeded team too many chances to get in when they may not have earned it throughout the season. But the way the Penguins did play this last month, it would provide some possibility for them to control their own destiny.

For now, Penguins fans will just have to watch the playoffs once again without Pittsburgh for the second straight year.

As Read On: The Hockey News -
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