HNIC shows new potential alignment with 16 teams in "east" groupings

[LadyStanley]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/sto...-wings-eastern-conference-seattle-hockey-team
Sporting News declares winners and losers on proposed alignment.

I: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

II: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto

III: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg

IV: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver

Good a time as any to start new thread.

Click to read more...

 

[MoreOrr]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/sto...-wings-eastern-conference-seattle-hockey-team
Sporting News declares winners and losers on proposed alignment.

I can't see this alignment being at all good for the west in any shape or form, especially the far west. The previous proposal was bad enough, this just makes it measurably worse. I think the League needs to split into two; the haves and the havenots. I've sometimes said, it's the East and the Rest.

 

[Kane One]

I can't see how this is fair for the Eastern Conference teams who didn't want a realignment.

 

[Tough Guy]

Tampa and Florida are the only teams that stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Wingsfan2965*]

The amount of sense that it makes to leave Detroit in Chicago's division makes this baffling....

They're going to create an entire play-in system just to move Detroit East, when the previous proposal solved most of Detroit's concerns...

 

[BigFatCat999]

It sucks for PHX, FLA, TB, QC, hopes for TOR2.

I expect this: relocation of PHX to Portland, expansion to Seattle. Eastern Canadian owners hoping to poach BOTH FLA teams

 

[guyincognito]

It sucks for PHX, FLA, TB, QC, hopes for TOR2.

I expect this: relocation of PHX to Portland, expansion to Seattle. Eastern Canadian owners hoping to poach BOTH FLA teams

The FLA teams will make more money this way, but will have a hard time competing as everyone else in that division is a heavy hitter $wise.

 

[Tough Guy]

To the poster who commented on baseball, you were mistaken. You absolutely can face your divisional opponent in the 1st round. New York vs. Baltimore happened last season.

And for it's entire history, MLB was: win your league ---> win the World Series

When the playoff format was introduced, it was ---> win your division ---> win your league ---> win the World Series.

Division ---> Conference ---> Cup is the was to go, in my opinion. That system provided the best playoff stories and rivalries.

 

[guyincognito]

That was just recently changed. And it's not a forced matchup, only when the seeds align. Like how it works in every other sport.

 

[BigFatCat999]

The FLA teams will make more money this way, but will have a hard time competing as everyone else in that division is a heavy hitter $wise.

I'm looking at this geographically. I will admit not. Sure on the numbers

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I want to be outraged about the 'Patrick Conference' getting an extra team...but it's Columbus so whatever.

I don't like what this says about expansion/relocation, though.

 

[WinterEmpire]

Wasn't the NHLPAs biggest concern last year the competitive imbalance? Now they've just shifted that imbalance from west to east.

 

[mouser]

To summarize the difference between this proposal and the previous one rejected by the PA:

- Columbus moves from div III to I
- Detroit moves from div III to II
- Colorado moves from div IV to III

 

[MoreOrr]

I want to be outraged about the 'Patrick Conference' getting an extra team...but it's Columbus so whatever.

I don't like what this says about expansion/relocation, though.

I don't think it says anything more than it did with the last realignment plan. It's just that a lot a people read way too much into that plan, and now here we are with another proposal which presents a whole other scenario with relation to possible expansion. Expansion has zero, zilch, to do with these realignment plans. If there is expansion sometime down the road, sooner or later, alignment will be dealt with again at that time.

To summarize the difference between this proposal and the previous one rejected by the PA:

- Columbus moves from div III to I
- Detroit moves from div III to II
- Colorado moves from div IV to III

And again, how does any of that address the apparent concerns that the PA expressed?

 

[guyincognito]

I don't think it says anything more than it did with the last realignment plan. It's just that a lot a people read way too much into that plan, and now here we are with another proposal which presents a whole other scenario with relation to possible expansion. Expansion has zero, zilch, to do with these realignment plans. If there is expansion sometime down the road, sooner or later, alignment will be dealt with again at that time.

Relocation could be happening in two or three months. Unless they've already decided who their preferred bidder is going to be.

 

[MoreOrr]

Relocation could be happening in two or three months. Unless they've already decided who their preferred bidder is going to be.

That's relocation, that's not expansion.

I'm looking at this League right now, and it doesn't know how to structure itself. It's got so many restrictions with respect to what it is allowing itself to do, that it's grasping at very limited options and hoping that it can put something together that makes sense and not be dysfunctional.

 

[superdeluxe]

Happy for potential Seattle bid

 

[gstommylee]

i don't see why the proposed realignment will be any problems. It makes perfect sense for seattle. Phx moving to Seattle changes nothing regarding this proposal where as phx to quebec might cause a few problems in regards to this proposal. Unless Colorado is moved back to IV and Detroit is move back to III

 

[knorthern knight]

Please tell me that the NHL gets permission from the NHLPA to do a quickie shuffle, should the Coyotes move to QC. We do not need Quebec playing in the new Pacific division for 2 seasons while the league and players do "consultations".

 

[MoreOrr]

Please tell me that the NHL gets permission from the NHLPA to do a quickie shuffle, should the Coyotes move to QC. We do not need Quebec playing in the new Pacific division for 2 seasons while the league and players do "consultations".

Can you see it? Detroit gets in the East, and then within 1 Season they're asked to go back in the West.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't see how they can not consider expansion (Quebec and Markham) when doing this realignment. It doesn't make sense.

I suppose Markham could go to the "Central"-looking division, but then what happens to Quebec? Are they going to move Columbus again?

There are a lot of flaws here.

 

[tsanuri]

Wasn't the NHLPAs biggest concern last year the competitive imbalance? Now they've just shifted that imbalance from west to east.

In the original proposal the west had worse travel and more teams. It does balance those two. West still has worse travel but east now has more teams to balance it.
Not perfect but nothing will be unless they wanted to keep two 3 division conferences. And that doesn't make sense once they expand and it doesn't matter if we want it they will do it for the money.

 

[guyincognito]

i don't see why the proposed realignment will be any problems. It makes perfect sense for seattle. Phx moving to Seattle changes nothing regarding this proposal where as phx to quebec might cause a few problems in regards to this proposal. Unless Colorado is moved back to IV and Detroit is move back to III

A few problems.

As in teams possibly having to make 3-4 east coast trips to play Quebec and vice versa.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

The only way to make it fair for everyone is to have divisions where there are teams in the East, Central and West.

Since the Eastern teams would scream bloody murder over that, they get 16 teams to make up for it. Teams like Nashville, Dallas and St. Louis are still screwed on travel but they have two less teams to worry about to make the playoffs.

 

[gstommylee]

A few problems.

As in teams possibly having to make 3-4 east coast trips to play Quebec and vice versa.

I mean using the proposal given far west would have 6 teams III would have 7 II 8 1 9.

If Phx was going to quebec city NHL wouldn't have proposed realignment like this. Phx moving to seattle would not cause any issues with the proposal relignment like i said. But if NHL wants to keep it IV 7 III 7 II 8 I 8 and Phx goes to quebec city which teams are gonna get moved to the other conferences to keep it like that.