Bruce Cassidy: 'I love our chances' - but challenges await Boston with proposed playoff formats

Like most of us, Bruce Cassidy still doesn’t have a clear picture of what kind of NHL we're going to get if/when the 2019-20 season resumes.

Of course, even with no fans in the stands and plenty of rust to shake off due to a months-long break, Cassidy believes the product on the ice won't suffer when the puck finally drops —given the ultimate prize remains the same as any other NHL campaign.

But the format in which teams, players, coaches and fans will have to adjust to later this summer will be a far cry from anything we've all seen before.

After sorting through contingency plans ranging from the resumption of regular-season games, neutral-site venues and countless other proposals — it appears as though an expanded, 24-team format is starting to take shape as the preferred route for all parties this summer. 

Speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich Wednesday morning, Cassidy gave his thoughts on the likely uprooting of the NHL's playoff formatting this season —  noting that, while likely infeasible, his preference would be to uphold the current 16-team system that has been in place for years.

"Well, from our position, I'd rather just 16 (teams). Again, this is just me talking. I don't have a say in all this, but I'd rather it be 16 teams, four rounds of 4-out-of-7, let's go. That's the integrity of the playoffs," Cassidy said. "It's always been that way. I understand the player's perspective — of wanting to get some games in before that. Because it gets ramped up in a hurry, playoff hockey, there's no holds barred. ... (The players) have been able to do nothing for the most part (during the break). The odd guy might be skating in Sweden or a couple of those European countries that are open. So they do need the time to ramp up, health-wise. So I get that.

"So that's the tough part about kind of a scenario I'd like to see. But at the end of the day, it's going to be unfair for somebody down the road.  It's just the way it is. Even if you went with 16 (teams) — what about the two teams right at the bottom? There's the points versus the point percentage. ... It's still a legitimate playoff, but hopefully we get to that 16 in the right way, and it doesn't hurt us. I guess that's where I'm coming from, that we don't get kind of screwed in this process, because we shouldn't be. We should be rewarded for our regular season, but I don't think any scenario is going to be perfectly fair, I understand that."

Based on what has been tossed around in the aforementioned 24-team, conference-based proposal, the Bruins would benefit, as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, from avoiding a potential play-in round limited to a best-of-five format. While that would help the B's avoid any potential upsets out of the gate (of which I imagine there will be plenty, given this extended layoff and subsequent clean slate), it does create a problem in the following round.

After all, does it really benefit the Bruins to remain dormant and out of game action due to a bye — and THEN have to play a lower-seeded opponent that already managed to shake off plenty of rust during the play-in round? Elliotte Friedman did note in his article that the top-four seeds in each conference would likely take part in a three-game "tournament" during the play-in round in order to keep fresh — although it remains to be seen what that exactly entails.

Regardless of potential byes and other favorable matchups, there's no doubting that some advantages Boston forged over of a scorching regular season are now null — headlined by the likely lack of home-ice advantage and a packed Garden crowd. Again, far from ideal for Cassidy's crew. But given the circumstances, the B's. bench boss is more than content with the possibility of hockey looming back on the horizon in short order. Whatever the format may be, Cassidy believes his group will be up for the task that awaits.

"I think our guys like Cam (Neely) and Donnie (Sweeney) and ownership will argue for the best deal possible for us," Cassidy said. "I don't think they're gonna want to see us get hurt in this process. I just think sometimes you have these circumstances where we're just trying to get some hockey back in and get planned in probably empty buildings by every account. I think that was originally discussed — now looks like it's gonna be automatic. So it's just for TV, which should be great to get back to playing and get something on TV. But at the end of the day, you probably have to sacrifice for the good of the game. . But that's the way I look at it right now. I'm just hoping we get a chance to play, to be honest with you. I love our chances no matter how it shakes out."

Here are a few more highlights from Wednesday's interview:

On how players will adjust to no fans in arenas: 

"I think it works for both sides. I mean, if you're a player going into a hostile environment, it usually ramps you up. So for both sides, I think you lose a lot of that adrenaline rush that you're going to have to create yourself. I think the first game will be completely weird. I don't know if they pipe in music, what they would do to try to simulate it, but I think it would be strange. And then you're just going to play. I mean, these guys are hockey players. ... I think guys are competitive in practice when there's no one around. So I think just the natural instincts will take over for the players and you'll miss that part, but I think you'll still see good hockey once you get past the sort of initial weirdness of no fans around."

On challenges that come from adopting "hub cities" as venues this season: 

"Every guy is gonna think differently, particularly guys with families or someone that has someone vulnerable with a condition in your family — you want to be around. So those are things that I'm sure are being discussed: what's the best avenue? And there's no perfect answer. So, for me, we kind of understand that we probably have to be away from our families in some sort of quarantine. The question is for what stretch of time? Are you allowed to bring your families with you if the testing is appropriate, is up to speed and, meets all the requirements? I'm going to leave that to the medical people. But at the end of the day, that's going to be a big challenge for the players coming back. That's the other argument for less teams, for me, is the less people there, the less chance of infection."