from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

It would be hard to argue at this point that any of the teams added to make up this year’s group of 24 were substandard or didn’t belong. Teams are bunched closer than ever in the salary-cap era, and based on what we’ve seen in this unprecedented situation, the difference between teams in the middle third of the league and the bottom third may not be as great as some believe.

The Vegas Golden Knights certainly demonstrated that it’s possible to start from scratch and immediately be one of the NHL’s best teams, a standard the Seattle Kraken will be expected to meet when they begin play in 2021-22.

Most hockey fans prefer playoff competition over regular-season play and find the latter far more meaningful and entertaining. Moreover, keeping more teams involved in the fight for a playoff berth creates more interest in more markets....

Truly, anything is possible now that the NHL has busted through the 16-team barrier without a negative vibe.

For so long, the league has been wedded to the philosophy that the regular season must be a marathon elimination competition that sends about half of the teams home before the Cup tournament begins. But if playoff games generate more profitable gates and TV ratings, not to mention enthusiasm for the sport in more cities, perhaps these playoffs will lead to a larger rethink about the way in which the NHL could structure its games and competitions.

more