Here’s What A 24-Team NHL Playoff Format Would Look Like For Chatham-Kent’s NHLers

Two Chatham-Kent hockey players look to see their way into the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs should a 24-team postseason come to fruition.

Travis Konecny and the Philadelphia Flyers would earn a first round bye as the 4th seeded team in the East potentially facing the winner of a Pittsburgh (5) versus Montreal (12) play-in series.

Konecny made an NHL All-Star Game appearance this season, and had 24 goals and 61 points in 66 games.

In the West, TJ Brodie and the Calgary Flames (8) would find themselves in a play-in round match up against the Winnipeg Jets (9), with the winner playing first place St. Louis, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

Brodie, who suffered a scary collapse during practice earlier in the season had 19 points in 64 games this season.

Bo Horvat and the Vancouver Canucks would also be in a play-in situation, facing the Minnesota Wild who were red hot when the NHL shutdown, while Brandon Montour and the Buffalo Sabres were slated to miss the 24-team playoff.

With the NHL being shut down already for over two months, many might think the running for the Stanley Cup is wide open.

It’s like a complete re-start to the season. Speaking of which, if you’re wanting a look into what team might hit the ground running, let’s flash back to the teams that had the hottest start in the 2019-2020 NHL campaign.

The Colorado Avalanche hit the ground running going 7-0-1 out of the gate this season. The Edmonton Oilers had a similar 7-1-0 start.

Or we could look at it conversely. Which team finished best?

Well, the Philadelphia Flyers were 9-1-0 in their last 10 before the stoppage, and the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues were both 8-2-0 in their final 10.