Every season, it’s the same problem. Teams that are too good get knocked out too early. And I’m not talking about upsets or the Presidents’ Trophy Curse. That I don’t mind. It’s just the fact that teams that placed 2nd or 3rd in the division play each other in the first round.
Ever since the National Hockey League changed its playoff format back in 2013–14, this has been… stupid.
The Good: The Wild Card Race Is Fun
Let’s start with what works.
The Wild Card race is chaos in the best way. Teams hang around longer, more fanbases stay engaged, and the final weeks of the regular season actually feel important.
You get scoreboard watching, desperate pushes, and meaningful games every night. From a fan perspective, it’s hard to argue against that. However…
The Problem: We’re Getting the Best Matchups Way Too Early
But here’s where it falls apart.
Because of the divisional bracket, really good teams are forced to play each other in the first round. Not because they underperformed, but because they happen to be in the same division.
So you end up with matchups like:
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens (Potential Conference Final)
- Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars (the same can be said here)
These aren’t weak teams sneaking in. These are legit contenders finishing 2nd and 3rd – knocking each other out immediately.
It just feels wrong.
Instead of building toward the best matchups later in the playoffs, we’re burning them off in Round 1.
The Old Format Was Simpler – and Honestly, Fairer
Before 2013, the NHL used a much more straightforward system:
Winners of the Division would be seeded 1, 2, 3 and the rest would be 4-8. Top vs Bottom. (Back then it was six divisions.)
That’s it. No divisional gymnastics. No weird bracket paths.
If we used that system today, the first round could look something like this:
| Seed | Team | Points | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Hurricanes (Metro Winner) | 113 | vs. #8 Philadelphia Flyers |
| 2 | Buffalo Sabres (Atlantic Winner) | 109 | vs. #7 Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 106 | vs. #6 Ottawa Senators |
| 4 | Montreal Canadiens | 106 | vs. #5 Boston Bruins |
| Seed | Team | Points | Matchup |
| 1 | Colorado Avalanche (Central Winner) | 121 | vs. #8 LA Kings |
| 2 | Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific Winner) | 95 | vs. #7 Anaheim Ducks |
| 3 | Dallas Stars | 112 | vs. #6 Utah Mammoth |
| 4 | Minnesota Wild | 104 | vs. #5 Edmonton Oilers |
It just makes more sense.
The better your regular season, the more you’re rewarded. And the strongest teams don’t have to eliminate each other right away. As it is now, the first round is almost too good, and the second round… it’s OK, but the playoffs risk losing both momentum and hype.
Are We Overrating the “Wild Card Chaos”?
Here’s the thing people don’t really talk about:
Even without this format, the playoff race would still be exciting.
Teams would still be fighting for the last few spots in each conference. Whether it’s the 7th, 8th, or even 6th seed, the urgency doesn’t just disappear.
So while the Wild Card system adds drama, it’s not like it’s the only way to make the regular season matter. I do enjoy the Wild Card chase and I’m hooked to see the standings every night to see which teams moved up or down, but let’s face it. That would most likely be the case anyway.
If I Could Change the NHL Playoff Format
If I were commissioner for a day, I’d tweak this. Not blow it up completely – but fix the part that doesn’t work.
Go back to a conference-based seeding system. Rank teams 1 through 8 based on points, and let the bracket play out naturally. No confusion. Less what if this and that.
You’d still get great matchups.
You’d still have meaningful regular-season games.
But you wouldn’t have top-tier teams knocking each other out before the playoffs even really get going.
And honestly, when you’re playing for the Stanley Cup, it should feel like the best teams are meeting at the end – not surviving each other at the start.
I don’t see this changing anytime soon, but I’m guessing it will get an overhaul once the league expands, again. And move Detroit back to the Western Conference while you’re at it. Thanks.
