Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I think it's best for both Detroit and Columbus to be in the east. If you really look at the geography it makes no sense to have them in a Western Conference.
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The part that makes no sense to me is you're going to have to move them back eventually, unless you put Toronto 2 in the Midwest Division (which wouldn't be completely crazy since the Leafs were in the Norris for years).
What I don't get is, knowing there will be a team in Quebec at some point why wouldn't the NHL at the very least keep Columbus in the Western Conference to make it an even playing ground in terms of the battle for playoff positioning? Makes me think that maybe there will another radical realignment coming when the league actually does expand to 32 teams.
Maybe something with four conferences and eight divisions. Something like:
CONFERENCE A
Division I
Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Vancouver
Division II
Anaheim
Los Angeles
Phoenix*
San Jose
CONFERENCE B
Division III
Chicago
Colorado*
Minnesota
Winnipeg
Division IV
Columbus
Dallas
Nashville
St. Louis
CONFERENCE C
Division V
Montreal
Ottawa
Quebec
Toronto
Division VI
Boston
Buffalo
Detroit
Pittsburgh
CONFERENCE D
Division VII
New Jersey
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Philadelphia
Division VIII
Carolina
Florida
Tampa Bay
Washington
Each team would play the team within its division 6 times (18 games), each team within its conference but not in its division 4 times (16 games) and each of the other 24 teams twice (48 games). Top four in each conference make it with top two seeds being division leaders.
* - If Phoenix is moved to another market, Colorado would move into that division and Toronto2 would move into a division with Winnipeg, Chicago and Minnesota.