Makar: All players want 1 vs. 8 playoff format back

Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar wants the NHL to return to its previous playoff format, and he's adamant he isn't alone.

"I feel like all the players want back to 1 to 8," Makar told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I think that's a thing that we'd like, but I get it. I understand the playoff format now. It makes the road harder sometimes."

The NHL moved away from Makar's preferred format prior to the 2013-14 season. The current system sends the top three teams in each of the four divisions to the playoffs along with two wild-card teams per conference.

Makar's preference has been echoed by several players and pundits over the years, but commissioner Gary Bettman has said on numerous occasions that the league has no plans to change the playoff setup.

Most complaints about the format are based around repetitive matchups or Cup contenders being forced to meet in the first round because of the divisions they play in.

"I mean, if you're from Edmonton or L.A., I'd say so, yeah," Makar said. "Sometimes you get a good matchup and sometimes you are playing a top-six team with another top-six team like we did this past year. That's the way she goes."

The Oilers and Kings met in the first round for the fourth year in a row this past spring. The Avalanche, who finished fifth in the Western Conference, started the playoffs against the third-place Dallas Stars. Dallas ultimately won the series in seven games.

Makar has made the playoffs in each year of his career. He's notched 85 points in 79 career postseason contests, and won the Stanley Cup as well as the Conn Smythe in 2022.