If the league were to forgo resuming regular-season games, the 24-team format would eliminate any controversies around how to determine which 16 teams would qualify in a traditional playoff.
“There’s no fair way to say who should be in and who should be out because of not playing the full season, not playing the full 82, but for lack of a better word somebody’s gonna get screwed,” Duchene said. “I believe let’s keep it as traditional as possible. I’d love to see us jump to a 16-team playoff. Normal playoff, maybe play a little more frequently because guys are gonna be fresh and you can play a game at 3 o’clock on Friday and at 7 on Saturday and there’s no travel.
Duchene’s Predators sat in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference prior to the NHL’s indefinite hiatus, so his team would qualify regardless of which format the league lands on. “I just think you gotta keep as much integrity as possible,” Duchene added. “You don’t want to have a COVID Cup and I’m worried that if we force this thing and try and it’s a little gimmicky and it’s not quite right, whoever wins the Cup is gonna have people try to take it away from them for their whole lives and guys don’t deserve that. I feel very passionately about this part of things.
“I think it’s sacrilegious if we don’t appreciate what did and make it as big of a challenge and with as much integrity as possible. … I know guys are going to want this to mean something if we do come back.”
'I know guys are going to want this to mean something' - it will be harder to win (no asterisk required). Fresh players, no travel, fewer injuries left from regular season, home ice adv negated, short turnaround between games, fresh hungry bubble teams ...seems harder to win it.
This guy ain’t even gonna win it why he worried ?
incarceratedbob You think tom brady cares about a deflate gate or spy gate super bowl title? The cup is the cup no matter how it’s won. Almost the whole season was played anyways. Did the bruins care about a lockout cup?
I’ll take a “covid cup” if the leafs win it! 😅 mynijja1 Alvinkumar1
No, covid cup I'd EXACTLY what I want. Matter of fact if they embraced it completely did a goofy tournament and gave away a covid cup filled with toilet paper roles I would be ecstatic.
Lol his team is final wild card spot in west , bet he has different tune if his team was out
Agreeded
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