The Vancouver Canucks have a great chance of having success if the Stanley Cup Playoffs adopts a 24 team format this season.
It’s been over two months since there has been an NHL game. Those two months have been long for everyone, but especially fans and players. The league and player’s association are trying to work something out. Right now, the most popular proposal regarding the Stanley Cup Playoffs is to go with a 24 team format. This is a format that could significantly benefit the Vancouver Canucks.
How would this format work? Let’s turn to the incomparable Elliotte Friedman and his latest 31 Thoughts column. He believes there will be four “hubs”, one centered around each division. The top six teams in each division would make the postseason. Friedman’s proposal is a little out there, as he proposes a round robin tournament in the first round with point “handicaps” given out to reward teams for placing higher in the division during the regular season. But it’s a fascinating one nonetheless.
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Now, the details still have to get hammered out, but the 24 team format is gaining traction and support around the league. It makes sense for a variety of reasons. The league would be able to get back some of the regular season games that they missed. It would give them more nationally televised games, which could help replace at least some of the revenue the NHL has lost since the season’s hiatus began in mid-March.
Also, it would draw a lot of interest. There’s a non-zero chance we won’t be seeing Major League Baseball this season. The NBA postseason is exciting, but it can’t match the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially not one that could be even more exciting than usual.
Now, how does this benefit the Canucks? It benefits them for several reasons. First of all, the Canucks would get a chance to get healthy. They’d be getting back star goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who has quietly been great this season for them. Of course, every team would be able to come back pretty healthy. But the Canucks needed rest and they got it.
Secondly, with everyone having time off, it’s likely that the faster, more skilled teams are going to have an advantage. In a battle between legs that aren’t fresh, the faster ones tend to win out. This isn’t to say the Canucks aren’t physical, but with Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Tyler Toffoli, and others leading the way, it’s hard not to like their chances.
Thirdly, it’s not likely the first round of any Stanley Cup Playoff this season would be a seven-game series. If you do things based on point percentage, the Canucks would draw the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. That’s not ideal for a team like the Canucks. But in just a three game or five game series, they’d have a chance against just about any team.
It remains to be seen precisely how the Stanley Cup Playoffs will look, or even if they’ll happen this season. But a 24-team format could benefit the Canucks depending on how it looks.