Rank the divisions

[MSSLYNX]

I get what you're saying but don't pick on The Adams Division. They at least had 2 or 3 of the top teams in the league every year. Making the playoffs was easier but Boston and Montreal had to meet in the playoffs for a ridiculous 9 straight years as two of the top teams. Then you get The Patrick.
Similar to The Smythe with Calgary and Edmonton. Easier to make it but then you have a yearly date in the 2nd round
But then they at least got to coast through the conference Final.

Because The Norris was a joke. One season The Leafs made the playoffs one point out of last place while The Nords, Pens and NYR(?) all missed with 20-30 points more than them.

Oh i dont pick on the Adams. Simply followed it more with home team.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Toughest division
East
Central
North
West

Best division to watch

North
East
Central
West

 

[Snyper8]

East
Central
West- Just as good as the central but the central has the champs so they get the nod

North

 

[A Loyal Dog]

The North leader, leads the league currently?

Leads the league with most games played currently*

 

[BFLO]

Leads the league with most games played currently*

They are the largest fish of the smallest pond. Doesn't say much else.

 

[b in vancouver]

Oh i dont pick on the Adams. Simply followed it more with home team.

I was just kinda kidding around as I know anyone watched hockey in the 80s knows exactly what division was an embarrassment. When I read about people complaining about divisions the last few years, I think of how bad it actually was. Making it more ridiculous is that the schedules were division heavy and The Norris still barely got any teams over .500.
The Jets got torched by not being in that division as they would've been in the conference final near every year.

 

[Sasso09]

East

Central
West
North

 

[Sasso09]

3 of the top 6 teams in the NHL

The north has zero of the top 10 NHL teams. Sure some will finish high in the standings while feasting off eachother but they're definitely the weakest division.

 

[Pyrophorus]

The north has zero of the top 10 NHL teams. Sure some will finish high in the standings while feasting off eachother but they're definitely the weakest division.

..and one of them will be in the CF at least.

 

[MSSLYNX]

Toughest division
East
Central
North
West

Best division to watch

North
East
Central
West

Maybe from a Western point of view (minus the Ott games) but in the East those Ott-Van games or Mtl-Wpg games do not bring excitement like a Mtl-Bos or Mtl-Pit would. Tor viewers probably prefer seeing Det or Wsh.

Florida teams will greatly miss the Mtl-NY-Tor games

Viewer fatigue might become a thing in the North with the extra matchups and Ott bottoming out quickly.

 

[HabsDood]

You Americans think that the North suxxx, thread is useless because we can't compare, see you in the cup finals

 

[BruinsBtn]

Seeing how bad Edmonton and Vancouver have looked, I've downgraded the North from bad to horrible.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

You Americans think that the North suxxx, thread is useless because we can't compare, see you in the cup finals

I'm from Montreal and think the North Div is the weakest and I doubt whoever wins it will pass the other division winner.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

It's the East then 3 divisions hoping that they beat themselves up in the first two rounds.

 

[LEAFSANDBILLSFAN]

Wait there are divisions outside of the North? I thought the only divisions South of the Border were in the NBA? Americans watch hockey? What madness is this?

Also LOL to the guy who said interchanging Toronto and Buffalo would mean similar results for those teams. Buffalo over the past 3 years has been a bottom 10 franchise while the Leafs on average have been a top 10 team. Toronto would be a playoff team in the East. Buffalo would be happy to at least have Ottawa to look down on still.

I notice many of you pumping the East are Buffalo, New Jersey, and NYR fans. You guys sound like Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Ole Miss bragging how awesome the SEC is because Alabama is very good and you love riding their coat tails. Those three teams were bad last year and surprise, surprise they're bad this year.

East - solid top 5, but the bottom 3 are worse than any North team not named Ottawa
West - three legit Stanley Cup contenders and a bottom 5 that might not make the playoffs in the North division.
North
Central - Tampa is miles better than anyone in the North but the rest outside Dallas, Columbus, and Carolina look worse than what the North has to offer minus Ottawa.

 

[HabsDood]

I'm from Montreal and think the North Div is the weakest and I doubt whoever wins it will pass the other division winner.

It ok to have an opinion but we can't compare

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

It's the East then 3 divisions hoping that they beat themselves up in the first two rounds.

It's going to be interesting to see how beat up all the teams will come out of this. The playoff series should be brutal after playing that many times already in a year.

 

[MSSLYNX]

You Americans think that the North suxxx, thread is useless because we can't compare, see you in the cup finals

Sounds like what a Washington Football Team would say. They play each other a lot (not exclusively), one team has to finish 1st and its a short playoff appearance. 7 Can teams out of 31 but appearances in the Finals are kind of lacking. 26 straight seasons without Lord Stanley in this country?

I’m Canadian and i believe North is weak. Not gonna argue if weakest or not.

Lets thank Justin and Covid-19 for that guaranteed Cup sf spot.

 

[Varcus]

East North Central West

Technically we could see a Toronto vs Boston final.

Atleast it will be a close series

 

[RogerRoger]

The West is the worst. They have 3 very good to great teams but they also have 5 terrible teams.
East, Central/North (too close to call imo), West

 

[BFLO]

Wait there are divisions outside of the North? I thought the only divisions South of the Border were in the NBA? Americans watch hockey? What madness is this?

Also LOL to the guy who said interchanging Toronto and Buffalo would mean similar results for those teams. Buffalo over the past 3 years has been a bottom 10 franchise while the Leafs on average have been a top 10 team. Toronto would be a playoff team in the East. Buffalo would be happy to at least have Ottawa to look down on still.

I notice many of you pumping the East are Buffalo, New Jersey, and NYR fans. You guys sound like Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Ole Miss bragging how awesome the SEC is because Alabama is very good and you love riding their coat tails. Those three teams were bad last year and surprise, surprise they're bad this year.

East - solid top 5, but the bottom 3 are worse than any North team not named Ottawa
West - three legit Stanley Cup contenders and a bottom 5 that might not make the playoffs in the North division.
North
Central - Tampa is miles better than anyone in the North but the rest outside Dallas, Columbus, and Carolina look worse than what the North has to offer minus Ottawa.

I said the Sabres would be contenders in the north if they were swapped for the leafs, I did not say they would be in first place. The leafs would 100% struggle to make the playoffs in the East if swapped out for the Sabres. The only teams the leafs are for sure better than are the rangers and devils.

You even said it in your own post. The East has a brutal top 5, every other devision it’s more of a top 3. And in the north it’s a top 2. Leafs have clearly been miles better than the Sabres, but the habs were only 3 points better than the Sabres last season, and the Sabres had 2 games in hand.

 

[CascadiaPuck]

How would you rank the divisions in terms of toughest to make the playoffs to easiest?

My rankings

East
Canadian
Central
West

Answering your specific question about making the playoffs, I would say the East is going to be the hardest. And the North should be the easiest (one fewer team + Ottawa [sorry guys]).

But if I rank the quality of teams in each division - or if I imagine an "average" team for a division based on that quality - I don't quite understand how people can make the claim that North is screamingly obvious as the worst. Yes, the Sens are very bad, but the rest of the teams are a bunch of middle-of-the-pack types. No, there's no high end Cup favourites. But, beyond the Sens, I don't expect any of those teams to be a tire fire either. It's a very middling group. The low end in the West, for example, definitely seems lower.

I guess it comes down to whether people take the division as a whole or just look at the top end/ Cup chances.

 

[Lshap]

Answering your specific question about making the playoffs, I would say the East is going to be the hardest. And the North should be the easiest (one fewer team + Ottawa [sorry guys]).

But if I rank the quality of teams in each division - or if I imagine an "average" team for a division based on that quality - I don't quite understand how people can make the claim that North is screamingly obvious as the worst. Yes, the Sens are very bad, but the rest of the teams are a bunch of middle-of-the-pack types. No, there's no high end Cup favourites. But, beyond the Sens, I don't expect any of those teams to be a tire fire either. It's a very middling group. The low end in the West, for example, definitely seems lower.

I guess it comes down to whether people take the division as a whole or just look at the top end/ Cup chances.

Exactly. The North doesn't have any elite teams, but it has fewer bad teams and fewer 'easy' points than the other divisions. Bottom line is that if Tampa, Vegas and Colorado are eliminated, the winner of the North will be in the same good/very-good tier as whichever teams are left.

And let's be honest -- most of these rankings are based on memories of teams from 15 months and a thousand roster changes ago. This ain't 2019-20.

 

[Prairie Habs]

Seeing how bad Edmonton and Vancouver have looked, I've downgraded the North from bad to horrible.

Aww, thanks Boston fan. We do make the teams we play look horrible, don't we?

 

[Big Muddy]

I'm from Montreal and think the North Div is the weakest and I doubt whoever wins it will pass the other division winner.

I'm a Leafs fan and would have to agree. The top 2 Canadian teams last year were only 12th and 13th based on points percentage iirc.