The Chicago Blackhawks finished with 109 points last season, atop the Western Conference. That earned them a first-round series against the Nashville Predators, the last wild card, who then swept them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But what if the Blackhawks could have simply chosen not to play the Predators? What if, as a reward for their regular-season success, they instead had the option of selecting the Calgary Flames, who were swept by the Anaheim Ducks? Would they have taken it? And if so, how ticked off would the Flames have been, knowing Chicago viewed them as an easier out despite being the higher seed?