McDavid, Giordano see chance for best Stanley Cup Playoffs ever

A possible silver lining from the ongoing pause in the NHL season because of concerns about the coronavirus is the chance to hopefully have lineups loaded with healthy and rested players at the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"If we can ever get back to playing, I think this is going to be one of the best playoffs ever because every team is going to have all their guys healthy and ready to go," Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano said Friday on a video call arranged by the NHL. "You're truly going to be playing the best version of every team, I think. Looking forward to hopefully getting through this as a community and as a group of NHLers, and then we'll be in for some pretty good hockey if we can ever get past this and get into playoffs."
The NHL paused its season March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and there is no timetable for when, or if, play can resume.
The playoffs were scheduled to begin April 8, but the NHL is following guidelines put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommended against gatherings of 50 or more people for a period of eight weeks starting March 15.
"It's frustrating, but there's lots more important stuff going on," Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said on the call that included Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat. "The health and safety of everyone is what's important. The hockey can go on hold for a little bit. But it's just disappointing when the team is having a good year, in the playoff hunt and lots of good stuff going on. It's important that everyone does what they have to do and takes care of each other so we can get this thing over with and start playing hockey."
McDavid echoed Giordano's thoughts that the playoffs, if they happen, could be among the best in NHL history because of the time allowed for players to overcome injuries that have kept them out of the lineup and rest nagging injuries they may have been playing with.
McDavid and Giordano are like many players wondering what the NHL could do if, and when, it is given the green light by the health officials to resume the season. Neither favors going right into the playoffs, bypassing the final 189 regular-season games. The Oliers and Flames each are in a playoff position in the Western Conference.
"Obviously you want a fair season, and a fair season is a full season," McDavid said. "If we can do that, then that's obviously what we'd prefer. I don't think we can just step into [the] playoffs and Game 1, Calgary comes to Edmonton and guys [are] just running around and killing each other and haven't played a game in two months. ... We want to keep guys healthy and we want to make sure that everyone is up and ready to play some playoff hockey."

Giordano said he worries it's not realistic to think the NHL can return with enough time to play regular-season games because of the guidelines put in place by the CDC. So he brought up the idea of adding teams to the playoffs instead.
"You can't eliminate teams on points percentage or stuff like that," he said. "I think you go 12 and 12 (in each conference), more teams get in this year, maybe a couple byes at the top and play it out."
There is a three-point difference between the 12th team in the Eastern Conference (Montreal Canadiens) and the bottom four. It's a five-point separation between the 12th team in the Western Conference (Chicago Blackhawks) and the bottom three.
"But I think it's going to be tough, too, to just jump into a playoff game first game," Giordano said. "I don't know how they can work it out. Even if we can get a couple [regular-season games] in before that it would be nice, but we'll see. We'll see how long this lasts."
Giordano's idea to expand the playoffs was brought up on the second video call Friday with Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture and Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Ducks, Kings and Sharks are 13th, 14th and 15th in the West.
"I think for us three it would really have to be a substantial expansion," Kopitar said. "We're going to have to really, really stretch for it."
Couture had a different idea.
"Bring back all the teams," he said.
Getzlaf laughed and said he'd be all for it, but he'd rather protect the regular season for the sake of NHL history.
"Getting back on the ice would be a great thing to be able to finish this season out properly and make sure we protect the integrity of the game," he said. "You can't just throw out some weird playoff format and play for the Stanley Cup. There are guys who have done it over the years in history that we have to take into consideration."