There are more than a few fans and players out there that think the current NHL divisional playoff format is flawed.

Last season, for example, Daniel Winnik ripped the current playoff format apart before the postseason.

For those that need a refresher on the divisional playoff format, we've got you covered, as per NHL.com:

The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season record and regardless of division. It is possible for one division in each conference to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends just three.

In the First Round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record; the wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will meet in the First Round within the bracket headed by their respective division winners. First-round winners within each bracket play one another in the Second Round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

The biggest thing to note about the current divisional playoff format is that the team that finishes in first in their conference doesn't necessarily get rewarded for that as they could end up playing the second best team in the conference in the second round.

Washington, for example got the short end of the stick last season as they faced the second best team in the East (the Penguins) in the second round of the playoffs.

While we don't foresee the playoff format changing in the future, we would be in favour of a change and would love to see the playoff format the SPHL just introduced in the NHL.

The top eight (8) finishers in the league standings will make the playoffs:

CHALLENGE ROUND (FIRST ROUND)
On Sunday, April 8, the League Office will conduct a Challenge Round Selection event with all eight playoff teams participating.

For the Challenge Round, the top three teams from the regular season will have the opportunity to select their first round opponent from the teams seeded 5-8. 

The #1 seed will select their Challenge Round opponent first. The #2 seed will then select their opponent from the remaining three teams, after which the #3 seed will select from the remaining two teams. The #4 seed will play the team that was not selected previously. All series are best-of-three.

SECOND ROUND
The four teams that advance from the Challenge Round will play each other based on original playoff seeding, with the highest-seeded team playing the lowest and the remaining teams playing each other. Both series are best-of-three.

PRESIDENT’S CUP FINALS
The two remaining teams will meet in the best-of-three President’s Cup Final

Eight teams from the West and the East make the playoffs, so there's no reason the NHL couldn't adopt this playoff format.

Obviously with the divisions, though, tweaks would have to be made, but we think this could be a more unique way of starting rivalries and we're fans of the reseeding in the second round.

We also can't wait to see how this plays out this season in the SPHL.

(H/T: NBC Sports, SPHL)