Expanding the Stanley Cup Playoffs Devalues the Regular Season

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The NHL GMs’ meetings are approaching, and there is talk about expanding the regular season to 84 games to help with the condensed schedule that will be coming in the upcoming seasons. There will be best-on-best International Hockey every two years. However, there is still some pushing for an expansion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; however, the play-in-round is the regular season.

Looking at the standings in the Eastern and Western Conferences, four teams in each conference are battling for the final wild-card spot. While two wild card spots are available, the Ottawa Senators are six points clear of the Montreal Canadiens and seven points clear of the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. Ottawa is also five points clear of the New York Rangers, who currently hold the final wild card spot in the East.

No Need For The NHL To Expand the Stanley Cup Playoffs

But the Rangers are only a point ahead of Montreal and two points ahead of Detroit and Columbus. It is a tight race, and every game remaining between these clubs matters more than it normally does. Not to mention, the schedule maker will see some of these teams play each other in the final stretch of the regular season.

Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild hold Wild Card one with 79 points. Minnesota is up six points up on the St. Louis Blues, eight over the Calgary Flames and the Utah Hockey Club. However, the Vancouver Canucks occupy Wild Card Two and are tied with the Blues and have a game in hand. They’re two points ahead of the Flames and Utah.