There are no good scenarios at this point. Resuming with a 16 team playoff feels like some bull shit though. Different amount of games played different amount of home games for each team, different amount of games played against non-playoff teams, etc.
exactly. That's the only argument for changing who is eligible for the lotto and it's a really stupid one.
Every team more than x points out of a playoff spot (6 or something) is in lottery, all other teams in expanded playoffs. That puts 9 teams in lottery and 22 teams in playoffs (11 on each side). Give 1 through 5 seeds bye, have 6 v 11, 7 v 10 and 8 v 9 mini playoff series like best of 3 or 5 for the final 3 spots. Gives all teams who realistically could have made the playoffs a shot, and saves the lottery teams from having to play meaningless games and prevents a playoff team from winning the lottery
I read its partly because they are trying to get their network content and want to have the draft during the down time to provide something to air. Another issue is how many times is the draft used in trades to dump contracts, especially with a flat cap next year and some teams in cap troubles, what are they going to trade a player only to have them come back and play with them in a resumed season. Or are they going to miss out on trades altogether?
An extra 3 game or 5 game series before starting a normal 16 team playoff would be much shorter than finishing the regular season. Would only add 6-10 days
10 per conference in the playoffs. Use PPG and then regular tie breakers. Top 6 has a bye. The last 4 in play a best of 3. Best of 5 2nd round. Best of 7 SF/Finals.
There needs to be something before the playoffs even if it’s a couple exhibition games. Jumping straight into the playoffs from a mini training camp wouldn’t be good. It’s a tough ask to have guys go from no games for like 3 months right into it. I also think it’s a waste to have a team like Detroit or Ottawa come back when there’s nothing for them to play for and risk a major injury to someone.
that's a different conversation entirely. You are talking about the merit of hosting the draft in june compared to changing the lottery rules. I'll also say meh on not being able to trade. yes, a ton of movement happens at the draft, but lately more happens on july 1st. Teams that need to dump contacts will still be able to do that when the new league year begins.
I think the discussion on changing the lottery rules ties into a draft in June. I don't think they want to hold a lottery just to have a draft after the season anyway.
From Burnside One other factor is that multiple sources have confirmed the NHL is prepared to push the start of the 2020-21 season back as far as December 2020 or January 2021. That, along with an open broadcast calendar for the league’s two national broadcasters (NBC and Sportsnet), means significant flexibility in scheduling the remaining portion of the current season and that playoffs could well spill into September or October.
Still don’t know if it makes sense to finish the season and have a playoff. Way too many factors at play and everything has to line up perfectly and not go sideways for this to work. And the second someone gets the virus then what?
For sports and society to open back-up, someone getting the virus can’t be seen as a showstopper. I would imagine they would have to test anyone who was in close enough contact to the infected.
Of course the idea is to avoid that happening but I’m not sure what’ll happen at that stage if it does. Organizational depth comes into play I guess. What would be interesting is how they’ll deal with a positive test but the individual is asymptomatic. Imagine having to sit McDavid for a game 7 if he tests positive but is otherwise perfectly fine.
Have a friend who works for a company that basically does all the on screen graphics and tracking for NHL broadcasts. He is currently on furlough with no sports, but was told today to get ready to come back because NHL current plan is to have players in 4 cities by mid may, one arena for each division and have a modified end of regular season where you only play teams in division before starting playoffs. That's the latest.
Not that games would be played by then, but that's when they target getting the players to those cities. That's the message the league sent their company today at least
We dont have testing to test the 100 US senators in a timely fashion, how are we gonna test thousands of people daily?
Seems pretty optimistic to me too, but we'll see. They were also asked to pitch the league ideas for ads in the fan space in the empty arenas, so doesnt sound like we are getting the fake fans like Taiwan
I don’t disagree but I could see it not being that simple in practice when stakes are on the line. Teams would be disincentivized to test important players who aren’t showing any symptoms so the testing would have to be rigorously managed centrally. I suppose that would be the idea though?
And if they mass test the league before resuming, you know some players will be positive. What do they do then? Tell teams they can't use their important players until they get a negative test
If teams are smart they are putting their players on lockdown for 3 weeks before activities resume. Rent out a hotel and put everyone in there, tell them thats where they have to stay unless leaving for a game.
Well thats the plan mid may. Get all teams in a hotel and quarantine them between hotel and game sites. But the players im sure aren't going to stay in the hotel 24/7.
I know the players would object but pretty much its that or give back their salaries for games not played. If a player was supposed to be quarantined and got sick, fine the shit out of them.
you’re going to quarantine players, coaches, training and medical staffs for all teams for however long it takes? plus refs, broadcasters and production crews? and expect nobody to break quarantine? it could work, but one case blows up the entire thing.
Its why I don't think an extended season and playoffs is feasible. If they drastically shortened it, it might work.
Way too many hoops to jump thru. Would love to have it back just not sure it’s feasible. How can UK test 100,000 a day while Ontario 10,000 but you want to try and play games here and administer thousands of tests in pro athletes? How do players cross the US Canada border?
Economies of scale. UK is 68M, Ontario is 14M. It’s why embarrassing that the US is ranked 30th something in testing.
Not to mention that Canada is outpacing the UK by a good bit for testing capacity so it looks like it’s a provincial issue with Ontario.
Mikko Lehtonen (49 points in 60 games) is moving on from the KHL. Should be able to play right away on a 2nd or 3rd pairing. Seen Devils, Habs, Jets and Rangers among the teams in the running. If he can play, I’d love to have him play with Fleury on the 3rd line. Would allow Romanov to start off in the AHL/7th/8t D before being thrown to the wolves.
Is it still? Country started off strong, but it’s petered out in Ontario and Quebec as the health systems have gotten hit. Though that might be the case all around the world.
We were double your pace at some point, so it’s definitely taken a step back. Hopefully the planned testing next week works out. Man, the UK, though...
Everybody will take a huge hit, nhl players are getting completely fucked over with the escroc. That was a huge mistake by the nhlpa, but it was impossible to predict