Standings_Divisional Leaders

[Bullfrog]

I think it's time to get rid of the advantage that divisional leaders get in the standings. As of today, the Hurricanes are in 3rd in the east by virtue of being in a crappy division. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

It either needs to be removed completely, or just limited to providing home ice advantage. though, I'd advocate for completely removing it because using it to provide home ice advantage is just as arbitrary as giving them a high seed.

 

[bustaheims]

I think it's time to get rid of the advantage that divisional leaders get in the standings. As of today, the Hurricanes are in 3rd in the east by virtue of being in a crappy division. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

It either needs to be removed completely, or just limited to providing home ice advantage. though, I'd advocate for completely removing it because using it to provide home ice advantage is just as arbitrary as giving them a high seed.

I'm sort of in the same camp. I think the division winner should be awarded a playoff spot, regardless of where they'd finish in the rankings, but, after that, they should be ranked accordingly. If they have the 8th or worse points total in the conference, they should only be the 8th seed, and so on.

 

[nutman]

I think it's time to get rid of the advantage that divisional leaders get in the standings. As of today, the Hurricanes are in 3rd in the east by virtue of being in a crappy division. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

It either needs to be removed completely, or just limited to providing home ice advantage. though, I'd advocate for completely removing it because using it to provide home ice advantage is just as arbitrary as giving them a high seed.

I'm sort of in the same camp. I think the division winner should be awarded a playoff spot, regardless of where they'd finish in the rankings, but, after that, they should be ranked accordingly. If they have the 8th or worse points total in the conference, they should only be the 8th seed, and so on.

I agree. it is something that is kind of messed up , and you would think it would have been fixed by now.

 

[Bullfrog]

busta, I could definitely live with that proposal as it'd probably paint an accurate picture of where they'd end up otherwise. Theoretical worst place for a divisional champion is 11th in the conference, so they'd be jumping 3 places at most. though realistically, it's probably rare that they'd be less than 9th.

 

[bustaheims]

busta, I could definitely live with that proposal as it'd probably paint an accurate picture of where they'd end up otherwise. Theoretical worst place for a divisional champion is 11th in the conference, so they'd be jumping 3 places at most. though realistically, it's probably rare that they'd be less than 9th.

Probably. I mean, it would pretty much take all the teams in the division to be equally mediocre for a division winner to otherwise miss the playoffs.

 

[Justin]

Division leaders don't count in the NBA. The standings are in order of each team's record. That's the way it should be!

Take note NHL.

 

[hockeyfan1]

What was the NHL's rationale for it in the first place?

Anyone know?

 

[seahawk]

Division leaders don't count in the NBA. The standings are in order of each team's record. That's the way it should be!

Take note NHL.

The NBA did the same as the NHL with the division winners locked in 1-3. They changed that starting in the 2006-07 season. Division winners are guaranteed a top 4 seed.

 

[Bullfrog]

What was the NHL's rationale for it in the first place?

Anyone know?

I believe the rationale was to encourage competition within divisions so that rivalries would develop among some of the newer teams.

 

[Bender]

What was the NHL's rationale for it in the first place?

Anyone know?

I believe the rationale was to encourage competition within divisions so that rivalries would develop among some of the newer teams.

Maybe its to reduce tanking also? If everyone is equally crappy in the division they could still jump to a good seed and face a weaker first round opponent.

 

[L K]

So the NHL is potentially trying to find a way to make this system worse?

The realignment plan would consist of 2 conferences with 2 divisions in each conference.  The top 3 teams from each division would make the playoffs with two additional "wild-card" teams getting playoff berths.  The playoffs would then be divisional playoffs so 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 with the eventual division winners playing in the conference finals.

The divisions would be as follows:

Western Conference
Pacific - Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Mid-West - Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg

Eastern Conference
Central - Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa, Toronto
Atlantic - Carolina, Columbus, New York, New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, Washington

Of note.  The West would have divisions with 7 teams each so guaranteed that 3/7 teams make the playoffs each year vs. two 8 conference leagues in the East.

By mandating that 3 teams from each division make the playoffs you could have a situation where the conference standings go:

1 - Boston
2 - Buffalo
3 - Detroit
4 - Montreal
5 - Ottawa
6 - Toronto
7 - Tampa
8 - Florida
9-16 being from the other conference

Toronto, Tampa, and Florida would then miss the playoffs because the 9, 10,and 11 teams would have "won" their division.

Terrible system. 

I don't mind going back to the rivalry playoffs as I think that could make for some good rivalries but it will absolutely kill some other ones because you pretty much will never see half of your conference in the postseason anymore.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Under that System, this is how the playoffs would look right now:

Western Conference
Pacific - Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Mid-West - Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg

Eastern Conference
Central - Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa, Toronto
Atlantic - Carolina, Columbus, New York, New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, Washington


Auto Advances from Pacific would be:

Anaheim
Vancouver
Los Angeles

Auto Advances from Mid-West would be:
Chicago
Nashville
St. Louis

Western Conference wild cards would be:
San Jose
Dallas

Eastern Conference

Central Division Advancing Teams:
Montreal
Boston
Ottawa

Atlantic Division Advancing Teams:
Pittsburgh
New Jersey
Carolina

Wildcards would be:
Toronto
Detroit

Essentially, the top 16 teams are split right down the middle right now, 8 eastern, 8 western and it would work out that no top 16 teams would be left out by virtue of being in the strongest division.

The same advantage would be held though by Carolina who could jump Toronto and Detroit to get a higher seed in the playoffs by virtue of being in the "weak" division.

 

[Corn Flake]

Right now I"m liking the timing of bringing Detroit over to the East, since it looks like their era of dominance is coming to a close, especially if Datsyuk goes home after next year, as rumored.

 

[Corn Flake]

I hadn't even noticed until now that the Predators are way out of it.  Just assumed they would find a way in as always.  Guess they missed Suter more than we thought. 

End of an era??

Also to note that Calgary has managed to brilliantly play their way out of drafting a franchise player in the bottom 3-4 this year.  Way to go, guys.

 

[Joe S.]

No divisions. 2 conferences. Top 8 in each make it in.

I don't see what's so hard about that.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I hadn't even noticed until now that the Predators are way out of it.  Just assumed they would find a way in as always.  Guess they missed Suter more than we thought. 

End of an era??

I'm going to blow your mind.  Are you ready?  Seriously, are you ready...?  Cody Franson is outscoring his former Nashville teammate Shea Weber (27 pts to 26), while playing 4 less games and over 7 minutes less per game.

(In fact, Franson is 11th in defenseman scoring, also ahead of the likes of Keith, Seabrook, Doughty and many others.)

 

[Zee]

I hadn't even noticed until now that the Predators are way out of it.  Just assumed they would find a way in as always.  Guess they missed Suter more than we thought. 

End of an era??

I'm going to blow your mind.  Are you ready?  Seriously, are you ready...?  Cody Franson is outscoring his former Nashville teammate Shea Weber (27 pts to 26), while playing 4 less games and over 7 minutes less per game.

(In fact, Franson is 11th in defenseman scoring, also ahead of the likes of Keith, Seabrook, Doughty and many others.)

Along with Reimer finding his game again, Franson has been the best surprise for me so far this season. 

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I hadn't even noticed until now that the Predators are way out of it.  Just assumed they would find a way in as always.  Guess they missed Suter more than we thought. 

End of an era??

I'm going to blow your mind.  Are you ready?  Seriously, are you ready...?  Cody Franson is outscoring his former Nashville teammate Shea Weber (27 pts to 26), while playing 4 less games and over 7 minutes less per game.

(In fact, Franson is 11th in defenseman scoring, also ahead of the likes of Keith, Seabrook, Doughty and many others.)