Hurricanes, Jets Forwards Prefer Former Playoff Format

Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nino Niederreiter of the Winnipeg Jets discussed what changes they'd like to see the NHL make.

Mar 30, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) and right wing Nino Niederreiter (21) talk during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports / James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets have both had disappointing playoff exits the past two seasons. Championship contenders in both seasons, they each fell short of the ultimate goal. Seeking Stanley Cups for their respective organizations, perhaps a change to the playoff format could be beneficial.

In a recent edition of his 32 Thoughts, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed a variety of topics and news from his coverage of the NHL/NHLPA European Media Tour. A question he asked the players was for one change they'd like to see the league make. One of the most interesting responses came from Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho and Jets winger Nino Niederreiter.

Some players had thoughts about the shootout, which is something that will continue to be discussed as the collective bargaining agreement ends following the 2025-2026 season. But it was Aho's and Niederreiter's response that might be the most impactful.

Both players voiced a desire to move away from the current postseason seeding format. This format has been in place since the 2013-2014 season. Instead, Aho and Niederreiter would prefer the previous playoff seeding system of 1-8. Friedman wrote briefly about their thoughts amongst the collective response to his question.

"Aho and Nino Niederreiter wanted a return to one-versus-eight playoff seeding in each conference," he wrote.  

It makes sense that these two players especially would be passionate about replacing the current format, and they have a strong case. The biggest issue with the current format is that it can pit the best teams of the regular season against each other in the first round, which feels like a punishment for an impressive regular season.

The Hurricanes had 111 points last season, the second best total in the conference and third best total in the league. The New York Rangers won the division and the President's Trophy, forcing the Canes into the Metropolitan Division's second seed. In the old format, Hurricanes would have been the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

Maybe the biggest flaw exposed with this current format has been the Atlantic Division. Over the last decade, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers have been four of the best teams in the conference and league. Their series have been exciting and grueling, but they have often resulted in the first or second round being the matchup of the best teams in the conference.

The Winnipeg Jets could make the same argument. They were rewarded for a 110 point campaign by facing the Colorado Avalanche in the first round and fell in five games. The organization can't be thrilled with the fact that they finished as the second best team in the conference and faced the fourth best team in the first round.

Which is likely why players like Aho and Niederreiter would welcome a return to the old playoff format or some sort of variation to it. It might not alleviate the playoff failures teams like the Hurricanes and Jets have had, but it could be a system that the players and fans could get behind.

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