The NHL is back. We’re continuing to get updates on how the new 24-team playoff return to hockey will look. A new piece of news broke this week regarding the playoff format, with reseeding and best of seven series.

NHL/NHLPA have put finishing touches on format agreement announced last week. Among the open issues resolved:
_ both sides have agreed that it will be best-of-7 in all four playoff rounds (best of 5 in play-in round)
– Teams will be re-seeded after each round (not bracketed)

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 4, 2020

Both sides have now agreed to best-of-7 in all four playoff rounds (best of 5 in play-in round) and that the teams will be re-seeded after each round, rather than bracketed.

This is great news for the Flyers. They can only improve their standing after the round-robin tournament. The Flyers can climb as high as the number one seed and can only fall to the number four seed if everything goes bad.

Up until the new announcement, the reward for being the number one seed was still a bit foggy due to the reseed vs bracket dilemma. The top seed wouldn’t have been that beneficial regardless because it would have been stuck with the 8 v 9 matchup.

Now with the reseeding, the number one seed will face the lowest remaining seed to survive the qualifying round. Basically, if the Canadiens (12) upset the Penguins (5), the top seed would face the Canadiens. Pretty simple.

We can’t lose. We have a bye. If we get the number one seed, we’ll have an even better matchup. If we crush the round-robin tournament, we’ll move up and have an even more favorable matchup. If we don’t move at all, who gives a shit. Anyone we play, we’re in a good position to advance.

Don’t get me wrong, a bracket style playoffs would have been pretty fun to watch but I’m glad the NHL went this route instead. Top seeds get rewarded.

Still some work to be done by the NHL but on Thursday night, they released a timeline of what still needs to be done before we kick off the playoffs.

Beginning June 8 — subject to each club’s satisfaction of all of the requirements set out in the Phase 2 Protocol — clubs will be permitted to reopen their training facilities in their home city to allow players to participate in individualized training activities (off-ice and on-ice). Players will be participating on a voluntary basis and will be scheduled to small groups (i.e., a maximum of six players at any one time, plus a limited number of club staff). The various measures set out in the Phase 2 protocol are intended to provide players with a safe and controlled environment in which to resume their conditioning. Phase 2 is not a substitute for training camp.

All necessary preparations for Phase 2, including those that require player participation (education, diagnostic testing, scheduling for medicals, etc.), can begin immediately. The NHL and the NHLPA continue to negotiate over an agreement on the resumption of play.

We’re close everyone. As the Flyers billboards say coming down 95 towards the Wells Fargo Center, STAY READY.