Malkinstheman
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- Aug 12, 2012
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News Article: NHL's realignment plan
- Thread starter Malkinstheman
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Sh00terMcGavin
#Leadership
JimmyTwoTimes
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- Apr 13, 2010
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Would love to play the wings more than twice a year. We do have the toughest conference though. And would now be in same division/conference as Jordan Staal. They didn't expect that. Not that big of a deal, just a fun fact
Agreed. How would they make that work? While it says there would be wild card teams, I just don't see it being fair (although, I'd have to see how they plan on working it). Make either Detroit or Columbus be in the west, then all is even.
Under the proposed format, Detroit is with the NE and Florida teams. So the Penguins would have a home-and-home with them being in a different "conference."
JimmyTwoTimes
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Big McLargehuge
Fragile Traveler
Well thankfully that'll only be an issue for a couple of years. Expansion is inevitable.
Now what they do with the conferences when that happens is anyone's guess. It would be hilarious to see Detroit and Columbus finally get their wish and finally get placed in a conference with teams in their own time zone...only to get moved back to a western conference two or three years later because of expansion.
I generally like the idea and I love the 4 division/conference split...but it needs 32 teams to work and I'm less-than-crazy about the fact that these are clearly being made for 2013-14 instead of making the transition to expansion/relocation easy (though Phoenix to Seattle wouldn't cause any issues...but where the hell would they play? Quebec seems like the (far) superior candidate for an immediate relocation...)...but as it stands it's fine.
It keeps our rivalries intact and re-introduces Washington to the picture, Carolina could become an interesting rival, and it'll be fantastic to get 3 extra home games a year with Columbus in the conference. The only negative is that this would be a murderous conference in terms of difficulty. Columbus is never going to win a playoff game.
Malkinstheman
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So is this proposal kind of how the cba was agreed on? Owners and players send offers to each other until common ground is found? I agree that i would hate of for there to be 4 conferences, but it would be awesome if detroit came here.
DreamBeaut
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- May 24, 2008
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I think this looks quite appealing should Seattle and potentially Portland enter the fold in a few years...
AZPenguins
Registered User
I would rather see 2 conferences/4 divisions of 15 teams each and just keep the playoff format like it is now.
I know they wanna keep rivalries and stuff. But pens confrence are sooo much stronger than the other one in the east its not even funny. They really need to balance them tbh
There will always be stronger and weaker conferences. You would habe to change them way too often if you would go by that. Then pens conference would have been by far the worst in the entire league 6-8 years ago.
Dupree13
Registered User
It may even out over time (though not necessarily), but that just means that divisions will take turns getting screwed year by year. In a given year there will almost always be one conference that is stronger than the other, creating serious unfairness. At least with the current top 8 format, while not perfect in itself, that's mitigated to a degree.
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radapex
Registered User
The problem is timezones and travel. Jet lag, for instance, only exists when travelling east-to-west or west-to-east because of the change in timezones. In the proposed/leaked arrangement, every team in the "east" is on EST and no division in the "west" has more than 1 timezone separation (CST/MST or MST/PST).
I'm not a fan of unbalanced divisions/conferences either, but I understand the want/need to do it.
Dupree13
Registered User
QFT. Why nobody is concerned about this crucial aspect, I cannot understand.
I mean if you're a Columbus fan looking at this, you have to be like, **** this. You're odds of making the playoffs are so slim.
stefanh
Registered User
Some interesting stuff on insider trading:
So 3 playoff teams from each Conferance and 4 wild card teams based on total points, which would limit the damage of playing in a strong conference while being a good team. I guess that would scrap the divisional playoffs idea and have the playoff matchups from all around the league.
So 3 playoff teams from each Conferance and 4 wild card teams based on total points, which would limit the damage of playing in a strong conference while being a good team. I guess that would scrap the divisional playoffs idea and have the playoff matchups from all around the league.
Ragamuffin Gunner
Lost in the Flood
It's so much stronger than all of the other 3 conferences.
The POs would suck because the Pens would have to get through 2 of PHI, NJ, WSH, or NYR just to make it past the 2nd round. No more easier rounds vs SE or NE.
It would make the probability of a team from out conference winning the Cup much harder than the other 3 conference winners.
If you're referring to the December 2011 proposal, then yes it is similar other than the fact that Columbus and Detroit will be with ETZ teams and Colorado will be with all the CTZ teams.
Their odds of make the playoffs are slim in any division. With this format at least their playing teams that are close to them geographically.
I do wonder though, considering weaker teams in lesser "conferences" will make the playoffs while stronger teams in better "conferences" will miss out, that this format will sour on both fans and teams within a few years. Right now that's not the case because everybody is salivating over rivalry matchups, but they may feel differently in a few years.
Also, if the Penguins get the #1 or #2 seed this year, don't you want to see them play a creampuff team in the first round? Don't you want them to have a better chance of moving on in the first round and continue playing at least into May rather than play a stronger team in the first round and increase the chances of the season ending in mid to late April?
I agree. Unless the wildcard selection can be done fairly (don't ask me how that would be done), I do not believe this is a good idea.
What is so bad about just moving Columbus and Winnipeg and then re-alligning the divisions.
Detroit has established rivalries with the West and should stay there!
Dupree13
Registered User
Their, and other weaker, lower payroll clubs' odds are slim in any conference under this system. At least in the current, more open, top 8 format, their odds look a little better if not a lot better.
To me it's surprising to see people so worried about rivalries. And the worry about travel in what (I thought) was a big-time major league sport is surprising.
To throw such a huge monkey wrench into the playoff format that is pretry likely, at least imo, to lead to drastically unfair outcomes on a regular basis, is just perplexing and disappointing. And all to placate these owners whining about travel and time zones. If this is remotely a good idea why isn't the NBA looking at it?
I think this is a terrible idea that illustrates a league that still has some very serious issues.
I think this is also the NHL wanting to live in the past.
Personally, I'd keep the 6 divisions but try to make things easier on Dallas and Minnesota. Those two teams playing division rivals two time zones away was always ridiculous. Here's how I would align to make it more time zone friendly:
Eastern Conference:
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
Atlantic: New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
Southest: Carolina, Columbus, Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington
Western Conference:
Central: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis
Northwest: Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, Winnipeg
Pacific: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Dupree13
Registered User
Yeah, or even go to 2 conferences, 4 divisions with 8 and 7 teams, and division heavy scheduling, same playoff format. While that would present it's own problems, it would be a hell of a lot better than this imo.
