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It has gotten a bit lost in the wave of news that surrounds the NHL draft and the start of free agency. Even with all the player moves that have been made, one decision by the NHL general managers that could have a bigger impact on the standings than any trade or signing is the decision to immediately go to 3-on-3 in overtime. To placate the players’ concerns about extending overtime, there won’t be any 4-on-4 in overtime next season, and it has the potential to not only wipe out the shootout, but to give teams that excel in 3-on-3 a decided advantage in a tight playoff race. Last season in the AHL -- where the seven-minute overtime was split in half, starting with a 4-on-4, then going to 3-on-3 -- 201 of the 268 overtime games were decided before the shootout. That was 75 percent, up from 35.3 percent the previous season. With the exclusive use of 3-on-3, the NHL projects to be even higher.
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