The Possible NHL Realignment Plan for 2020
The Vegas Golden Knights have been a smashing success so far. Now, there’s a possibility of the NHL expanding again, to 32 teams this time. There are about 3 contenders competing for the latest expansion derby. The cities that want an NHL team are: Seattle, Washington Houston, Texas, and Quebec City, Quebec. Seattle has the lead so far after not being a factor for years. They are about renovate Key Arena in order to get an NHL Expansion team. If they get it, the earliest they would start playing is the 2020-2021 season. Then the NHL would want to realign its divisions, and possibly expand it to 8 divisions. The NFL has a similar look currently, and it has worked out for them. So the NHL wants to change its looks in the standings, hopefully for the better. Here is how it would look:
Eastern Conference:
Metropolitan Division:
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Northeast Division
Pittsburgh Penguins
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Central Division
Detroit Red Wings
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Southeast Division
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Carolina Panthers
Washington Capitals
Western Conference:
Pacific Division:
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks
Vegas Golden Knights
Northwest Division
Expansion Team
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver Canucks
Southwest Division
Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche
Midwest Division
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild
Winnipeg Jets
That is the proposed look if the NHL realigns in 2020-2021 season. Now they could still have their 82 game regular season. The setup as far as them playing the teams less as it follows. They would play their division opponents 12 times. They play the other 12 teams (non-division) a total of 36 times. Playing the other conference (16 teams) a home and home series only 2 games total. It would equal around 32 games. The other 2 games are for division play (like there main rival) if needed.
The playoff format would change dramatically in a big way. The emphasis on winning your division would be a huge factor. If you win your division, you automatically get to host a playoff series. It would be seeded 1 to 4. The other 4 teams would come from a 2nd place team in that division and making the first playoff series a division final (Best of 7). Then from rounds 2 to 4 it would consist of the best 8 teams left and will be seeded based on regular season record. If you win the division, you get to host the series. Now if you are the wild card, it would be based on record (in case of 2 wild card teams playing each other). This is how the new NHL could possibly look in a few years, unless we get a different city in the mix.
Dumb.
Quite sure you mean Carolina Hurricanes. If the Panthers are going to move, it won’t be to Carolina for sure.
Yes I meant hurricanes, I had football on my mind
You have a decent alignment plan, but you split Boston/Montreal, Pittsburgh/Philadelphia, Washington/Phil-Pitt teams, and Nashville is too far to group in a small 4-team division w/ Arizona & Colorado. St. Louis is closer. So, I would do the following:
WESTERN CONFERENCE: (15 West teams & 1 Flex team)
Northwest Division: Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle
Pacific Division: San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Vegas
Big West Division: Arizona, Colorado, Dallas, St. Louis
Midwest Division: Winnipeg, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit (Flex team)
EASTERN CONFERENCE: (15 East teams & 1 Flex team)
Northeast Division: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston
Metropolitan Division: N.Y. Rangers, N.Y. Islanders, New Jersey, Buffalo
Atlantic Division: Columbus, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington
Southeast Division: Nashville (Flex team), Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida
Have the 2 Flex teams Detroit & Nashville play balanced schedules to ease and even out their travels – this also legitimately allows either playoff-qualifying team to be placed into either the East or West playoff brackets as needed to help balance overall bracket strengths – to help get the top 16 teams in the League into the playoffs each year.
– 12 East or 12 West teams play 14 games w/ 3 other teams in division (5, 5 or 4 games each – rotate/yr.), 33 games w/ all other 11 non-Flex teams in same Conference (3 games each), 5 games w/ 2 Flex teams (2 or 3 games each – rotate/yr.), 30 games w/ all other 15 non-Flex teams in other Conference (2 games each).
– 3 East teams in Southeast Div & 3 West teams in Midwest Div play 12 games w/ 3 other teams in own division (4 games each), 10 games w/ all 4 teams in opposite div (Midwest or Southeast) (2 or 3 games each – rotate/yr.), 36 games w/ all other 12 teams in same Conference (3 games each), 24 games w/ all 12 remaining teams in other Conference (2 games each).
– Flex teams Detroit & Nashville play 12 games w/ 3 other teams in division (4 games each), 30 games w/ all 12 other teams in same Conference (2 or 3 games each – rotate/yr.), 40 games w/ all 16 teams in other Conference (2 or 3 games each – rotate/yr.).
Your realignment is decent, but some issues are you separated Boston/Montreal, Pittsburgh/Philadelphia, Washington/Phil-Pitt teams, and Nashville is just too far away from Arizona (and Colorado) to group together in a small 4-team division. St. Louis is closer to Arizona (and Colorado).