The draft is still a work in progress
David Pagnotta: From a high-up NHL source: “All things Draft-related are still a work in progress.”
The NHL has still not figured out about when to host the 2020 NHL draft. They are expected to make a decision soon though.
Should the ‘second round’ be a best-of-seven or best-of-five?
Pierre LeBrun: Re-seeding is one issue that needs to be decided on. Another issue is if the first round of the 16-team playoff portion should be a best-of-seven series or if it should be a best-of-five series.
The Lightning and Hurricanes were the two teams that voted against the playoff format
Nick Kypreos: The two teams that voted against the 24-team playoff format were the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.
Greg Wyshynski: “Can’t speak to Tampa, but one can see Carolina’s issue with having amassed 81 points in 68 games and your reward is playing a non-playoff team (with Artemi Panarin and the 5th best offensive) in a 5-game “play-in.”
Joe Smith of The Athletic: Lightning forward Alex Killorn said that players on the team do want to play but there are concerns about the format. Their “no” vote was based on the opinion of the entire team.
“I brought the format to my team,” Killorn said via text Saturday night. “They didn’t feel it was fair that certain teams that probably wouldn’t have made the playoffs would have a chance to make the playoffs in a best-of-five series. My team also felt it was unfair that the teams with a bye would not be as well prepared for a playoff series as the teams that had already basically played a playoff series to get into the playoffs.
“This was not my opinion alone. As the PA rep I have a duty to represent the voice of my entire team. I don’t want people to think that we don’t want to play. Everyone on our team wants to play. In saying that, we are fine with the vote the PA took and we are ready with it going forward.”
Killorn personally thinks that teams playing in the play-in games would be more prepared than the top teams that get a bye.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper thinks an argument could be made for both sides.
“Is it better to dip your toes in the water or jump right in?” Cooper said. “It’d be akin to saying one team goes through a seven-game series and the other team sweeps. So the team that sweeps is sitting there waiting for a week to 10 days for the other team that’s coming right out of a playoff series. Who has the advantage?