2025-2026 NHL Offseason

polaris_x

MayDay10 said:

Finishing last and having the best chance to pick 4th. Doesnt seem right. Usually there is a huge drop between 1 and 4... This year is a good example. Dont like the Leafs, but Id be pissed.


IMO they should just do a 3-year rolling average. No lottery, and you cannot pick 1st more than once in any 3-year span.

the leafs have the best shot at picking #1 which is 20% ... think in the nba its 25% ... the 50% mark is the odds it will not get either 1, 2 or 3rd in which case the worst the leafs could draft is 4th ...

i haven't quite figured it totally out but it does make tanking less desirable ... i just honestly hope it isn't the oilers again ... there should be a rule against that ...

jms

Good luck to everybody starting tonight. 930 Friday can't get here soon enough.

JK_Livin

When did the NHL stop reseeding in the playoffs?

FoxyRedLa

Well the lightning sure have set a shitty fucken tone

lukin2006

MayDay10 said:

lukin2006 said:

FoxyRedLa said:

Honestly. Look at the Leafs....they came in what last in the Atlantic division - had he stuck with the Wings he'd be headed back to the playoffs again. Does that mean Babs should be canned...? Doesn't seem realistic to me and he was obviously sought after.

Well I would think through the lengthy negotiations between Toronto, Buffalo and Babcock they spent a lot of time discussing philosophy's and him and Toronto must have come to an agreement that a complete tear down and moving of expensive contracts was what was needed...he signed an 8 year deal, hardly think he's going anywhere for at least 5 years.

Yup. It was well laid out that he has a number of years and clout in building the team. Both the Sabres and Leafs were offering similar situations... the Leafs probably a year behins the Sabres... but the trump card was the Leafs were more willing to blend him into the front office. The Sabres/Tim Murray werent willing to do that.

Babcock has a number of years before he is questioned. Whether or not they admit it, the goal for this season was to finish 30th. Babcock had a pretty depleted/out of it NHL squad playing admirably in the last 2 months. Thats all you can ask for. Next season, almost without trying they will see a points improvement. Year 3 they will need to improve on that (and should by then). Year 4 will be when playoffs could be expected. Fail by Year 4/take steps back and people in toronto will begin to question the Shanahan/Lamariello/Babcock regime. So maybe a hypothetical hot-seat at that point, into Year 5.... so I would say after the 5th season would be the earliest I could see Babcock go.

Just saw the Leafs have almost a 50% chance of picking 4th overall due to the new lottery system. IMO thats bull shit.

Not a fan of the draft lottery...you finish last overall you get number 1 pick.

Nami

FoxyRedLa said:

Well the lightning sure have set a shitty fucken tone

hank and magic man were eating chips last night.... Richards, Helm, and Abby had a bit of an edge and rest of team eating chips too. gotta pick it up next game or outcome not good

lukin2006

JK_Livin said:

When did the NHL stop reseeding in the playoffs?

I believe when they realigned the division/conference.

lukin2006

FoxyRedLa said:

Well the lightning sure have set a shitty fucken tone

you didn't enjoy the game? This series is going to be a good one. I do think it'll come down to goaltending.

JK_Livin

lukin2006 said:

JK_Livin said:

When did the NHL stop reseeding in the playoffs?

I believe when they realigned the division/conference.

Thanks. I don't understand stripping away another advantage to finishing with the best record. You should get to play the lowest seed every round.

mrussel1

FoxyRedLa said:

Well the lightning sure have set a shitty fucken tone

What does that mean? Applicator was playing like a dirt bag all night taking extra hits.

FoxyRedLa

JK_Livin said:

lukin2006 said:

JK_Livin said:

When did the NHL stop reseeding in the playoffs?

I believe when they realigned the division/conference.

Thanks. I don't understand stripping away another advantage to finishing with the best record. You should get to play the lowest seed every round.

Advantage? If you're top seed you should be prepared to play any team.

Top 8 teams = playoffs.
Division leader plays bottom wild card.
Next division leader plays wild card w/most points.
Then last 2 play each other.

lukin2006 said:

FoxyRedLa said:

Well the lightning sure have set a shitty fucken tone

you didn't enjoy the game? This series is going to be a good one. I do think it'll come down to goaltending.

I don't have anything nice to say haha

lukin2006

JK_Livin said:

lukin2006 said:

JK_Livin said:

When did the NHL stop reseeding in the playoffs?

I believe when they realigned the division/conference.

Thanks. I don't understand stripping away another advantage to finishing with the best record. You should get to play the lowest seed every round.

Yeah, I agree with you there. 1 vs 8 and so on would work for me...I do see what the NHL is trying to accomplish though, trying to create more rivalries...Detroit vs Tampa a good example...that series is starting out as a heck of series.

lukin2006

polaris_x said:

MayDay10 said:

Finishing last and having the best chance to pick 4th. Doesnt seem right. Usually there is a huge drop between 1 and 4... This year is a good example. Dont like the Leafs, but Id be pissed.


IMO they should just do a 3-year rolling average. No lottery, and you cannot pick 1st more than once in any 3-year span.

the leafs have the best shot at picking #1 which is 20% ... think in the nba its 25% ... the 50% mark is the odds it will not get either 1, 2 or 3rd in which case the worst the leafs could draft is 4th ...

i haven't quite figured it totally out but it does make tanking less desirable ... i just honestly hope it isn't the oilers again ... there should be a rule against that ...

This year there is is no clear number 1, even though that US kid who plays in the Swiss league has taken the top spot, but from what I understand any of the top 3 prospects could go 1...now mind you I don't follow junior hockey as much as I used to...but you'll get a good player.

MayDay10

I like it, although the Wild Card thing gets cumbersome and confusing. Gotta fight it out of your Division before going for the Conference and then the Cup.

The NHL/Playoffs were better when they went within the Divisions. The Sabres were locked in a pretty brutal Adams Division for years and couldnt get out, even with some really good teams... but man, it was great fighting the Bruins, Habs, and Nordiques every year. Random series against Eastern Conference teams dont quite do it. We were lucky that the Sabres played the Flyers a statistically improbable number of times and kind of had a playoff rivalry there... but many other Conference series were forgettable.

The NHL's original realignment proposal would have been amazing though. They had 4 Conferences, no divisions. 6 games against Conference foes, the rest split up against the other 3 Conferences. Playoffs all within each Conference... then the 4 Conference Champions would be re-seeded.
Unfortunately it was right around the lockout and the NHLPA decided to have a pissing match about it

F Me In The Brain

Yes, it is all rivalries. Make sure that each division plays rivals yearly in the playoffs. The NHL has changed how they do this so many times. Remember in the 70s they had 4 divisions (Adams, Norris, Patrick, Smythe?) and used to just seed top to bottom. 12 teams broke and I think 2 teams got first round byes. Then the Conferences grew (Campbell/Wales) and it changed a number of other times. Cannot recall all of the ways it has changed but the most recent changes went in 3 or 4 years ago, right?

HesCalledDyer

Yes, the NHL went back to Divisional playoffs with the realignment. It kind of baffles me how many people are just noticing it this year. And I don't mean here on the forum - pretty much EVERY hockey fan I know has asked me how the playoffs work this year! This format is three years old now!

mrussel1

HesCalledDyer said:

Yes, the NHL went back to Divisional playoffs with the realignment. It kind of baffles me how many people are just noticing it this year. And I don't mean here on the forum - pretty much EVERY hockey fan I know has asked me how the playoffs work this year! This format is three years old now!

True dat. I'm not sure I like it. I guess it's good for rivalries, but is there ever really a problem hating a team after a few games in a row? I also don't think it's fair. You have the TBL who are really a six, with home ice. The Rangers should be a 4 with home ice but have to play the red hot Penguins on the road.

F Me In The Brain

Kings and Ducks can play every year if they both make the playoffs. This is exciting. (Although they cannot play in the conference finals now, right? Guess that is the flip side.)

HesCalledDyer

mrussel1 said:

HesCalledDyer said:

Yes, the NHL went back to Divisional playoffs with the realignment. It kind of baffles me how many people are just noticing it this year. And I don't mean here on the forum - pretty much EVERY hockey fan I know has asked me how the playoffs work this year! This format is three years old now!

True dat. I'm not sure I like it. I guess it's good for rivalries, but is there ever really a problem hating a team after a few games in a row? I also don't think it's fair. You have the TBL who are really a six, with home ice. The Rangers should be a 4 with home ice but have to play the red hot Penguins on the road.

Yeah, I can see the pros and cons. My Blackhawks would be hosting the Sharks in the old format, but they're on the road against the Blues. So two of the top 3 teams in the conference play each other in the first round. I can see the playoff rivalry emphasis, but if you want intra-divisional rivarly, just schedule more games against division opponents.

Mignelli14

I don't really like the idea of trying to create rivalries. It should just happen naturally. The two best teams in the West have been the Hawks and the Kings for the last 5 years or so, seeing them play each other in 4 of the last 5 West Finals would have been amazing and then that'd be a good rivalry. But in the salary cap era I don't think it's likely - the odds of the same two teams reaching the conference finals each year aren't high enough.