Rule Proposal for playoff eligibility.

"Roll" = roll on a "d82" (i.e. d100 from 1-82, rerolling all rolls 83-100)
"Roll in" = where you successfully 'roll in' if the roll <= # of games played
"Roll out" = to miss a roll in.

Principle: A player who plays X% of NHL games plays as close as possible to X% of regular season games; we should do the same with playoff games. This is complicated by the fact that the # of games in each series is variable; the proposed system will account for it.

Game 1: "Roll" each player, one roll. League players will be available in the VERY unlikely event that a GM can't roll in a full roster from a 35 man list.

Subsequent games, apply the following rules:
1> If the player has played a below average # of games so far, AND they would still have played a below average # of games if they rolled in next game, they automatically roll in for the next game.
2> If the player has played an above average # of games so far, AND they would still have played an above average # of games if they rolled out next game, they automatically roll out for the next game.
3> Otherwise, roll for the player as in Game 1

Example player: Player X has played 38/82 GP this year; this works out to an average of 38/82 of all games in the playoffs, specifically:

After 1: 0.4634
After 2: 0.9268
After 3: 1.3902
After 4: 1.8536
After 5: 2.3171
After 6: 2.7805
After 7: 3.2439

Example #1
Game 1: Player X rolls in
Rule 2 says that X has played above average (1 > 0.4634) and if he missed game 2, he'd still be above average (1 > 0.9268), therefore X automatically rolls out for game 2

Example #2
Game 1: player X rolls out
If he rolls in for game 2, he'll be above average (1 > 0.9268); if he rolls out, he'll be below average (0 < 0.9268). Therefore, he rolls for game 2.

Let's say he then "rolls out" and misses game 2:

He is below average with 0 games.  If he rolls in for game 3, he will still be below average (1 < 1.3902). Therefore, X automatically rolls in for game 3

It's honestly not that hard, and frankly, it's easy to print up a little table come playoff time. It's literally less effort AND more accurate than rolling in each player every game, and it avoids ALL of the "mutants do better in playoffs" effect that have plagued both leagues for decades.

ALTERNATIVE: before each playoff series starts, the league can perform these rolls for 7 games for each player on each team, giving up a little realism in the way of 'future sight' in exchange for a far simpler method.  But this method is plenty simple