How NHL players would change the Stanley Cup playoffs

Expansion of the Stanley Cup playoffs is my hill to die on. My last breaths will be spent mouthing the words "play ... in ... round."

I've explained my philosophy and procedures before in this column, but to reiterate: There are now 32 teams in the NHL. In the pre-Gary Bettman expansion era, 16 of 21 teams would advance to the postseason. We've gone from over 76% of the league making the playoffs to just 50% after the Seattle Kraken joined the family. The NBA, MLB and NFL have expanded their own postseason fields in recent years while the NHL remains stagnant, leaving money on the table.

The NHL makes no secret of how vital the Stanley Cup playoffs are to its product. It's like March Madness:…