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Bubble teams deserve to have fate determined by full season |
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The NHL has 31 teams, but Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka appreciates that there are more than 100 unique stories about how the pandemic has undermined the plans of major league sports teams.
In addition to talking to his NHL counterparts, Chaya has chatted with friends managing teams in major league baseball and the NBA. Each story is different, but similar in the frustration of having plans derailed.
“I think everyone initially looked at it from his own situation, but I think the league is doing the right thing in the way they are handling it,” Chayka told Hockeybuzz.com
Chayka said he has talked to one executive who is disappointed because he thought he had a chance to win it all. Another executive from a rebuilding team expressed discouragement that some of his younger players were “missing out on reps” that would help them grow as players. Others undoubtedly are annoyed that the suspension of the season robbed them of their momentum.
Knowing that everyone is in the pandemic boat together, Chaya has maintained an optimistic attitude, even though his team is outside the playoffs if the NHL opted to go directly to the postseason.
“The league will recover from this,” Chayka said. “I’m bullish about the league’s future. The long-term picture is still bright.”
What is true in this NHL season is that the bubble teams all seem playoff-worthy.
Teams like the Coyotes, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and others have given the NHL a reason to work aggressively to resume the regular-season. We forget sometimes how high the stakes are for professional teams. Making the playoffs can be seen as a minimum requirement.
As soon as the NHL paused the season, it seemed clear that the league office viewed it as unfair to determine playoff qualifiers on March 11 standings. That's why finishing the regular season or expanding the playoffs to 20 or 24 teams has been part of the discussion.
Some bubble teams have clearly done enough to believe they could make up the few points necessary to claim a playoff berth.
The Coyotes held first place for 23 days in the Pacific Division, and their undoing resulted primarily from injuries to their top goalies Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta. Kuemper (2.22 goals-against average and .928 save percentage) had only returned to the lineup for a short while when the league pushed the pause button.
Committed to coach Rick Tocchet’s defensive tactics, the Coyotes rank No. 4 overall in goals-against average as this moment.
The Coyotes are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Chayka is hopeful. “I’m an optimistic person,” he said.
The Wild may be the bubble team with the best chance to squeeze into the playoffs if the season resumes. They are one point out of a playoff spot, and they were playing as well as any team in the NHL. They were 7-3 in their last 10 games, although that was more than two months ago.
The Rangers are only two points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and this team was oozing confidence in early March. They have a winning record at home and on the road. They play with a hint of cockiness, overflowing with enthusiasm. Their +12 goal differential is the best among the non-playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Vancouver Canucks have been impressively competitive all season, and it seems like a coin flip whether they will pass the Nashville Predators if we play 82 games. The Canucks have only qualified for the playoffs once since 2014. The Florida Panthers are also still in the playoff hunt.
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Not every fan appreciates why the NHL is trying to figure out why the NHL wants to finish the regular season. Some fans want to go directly to the playoffs. But the NHL seems committed to finishing the regular-season, or expanding the playoffs, provided the Covid-19 virus shows signs of dissipating.
Giving the bubble teams a shot at the post-season seems like the fair approach in this strange NHL season.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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