They should change it, since teams are just gonna play it safe in the late stages of the 3rd period, which takes away from what should be one of the most exciting points of the game. With current OT rules, I could understand why they would never go back to a simple W-L or W-L-T system, but I feel that there should be incentive in finishing the game in regulation, before you have to alter the rules of the game to try to draw a winner.
A soccer style 3-point system seems reasonable. Win in regulation, and you get all 3 points. Win in OT/SO, you get 2 points, while the loser gets 1. So no matter what, 3 points is always up for grabs. Eliminates the appearance of a random point with the OTL appearing, recognizes that the game structure games in OT, so both teams get at least a point, and most importantly, it will give teams incentive to push for the win in the final 10 minutes of the game instead of playing conservative. This will especially be the case during the playoff push during the later stages of the season. Could elevate drama for teams that need points to get in.
But the system is working for the NHL right now, so they don't have a desire to change it anytime soon. The standings are tight which means lots of teams still have games worth playing for. The 3 point system won't necessarily take away from this. If anything, it could amplify this effect since 9 points behind isn't as daunting since that's only 3 regulation wins away. But until too many games are heading into OT as a result of teams playing for the point intentionally, there's no need from the NHL perspective to change.
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