Re-Alignment with Seattle
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Right now yes, but that’s just currently. The Rangers and the Habs won’t be rebuilding long, and eventually the Sens will get back on track as well. It’s just a luck of the draw kinda thing that there are 3 rebuilding teams at one time.
This layout makes more sense than the current lineup where the 2 Florida teams leapfrog over another division to be in the Atlantic.
The only other way, and now thinking of it, this would be my preferred choice, is...
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I don’t know if I’m crazy about your playoff format, but the alignment looks good. You get a gold star for the day.
KingsFan7824
Registered User
If they didn't split up the old Patrick division in 2013, they're probably not going to do it now. If they did 8 divisions they'd have no choice, and they have done it before with Pit and Was, but it would be a tough sell that nobody seems to want to do.
There's always someone, about once every eight weeks or so... the league has a simple problem, involving a change for at most three existing teams... so let's blow up the league instead!
They aren't going to do that. Why? Because in the East, the travel is too good. None of the Metropolitan teams will see the division blown up, and the Atlantic teams are mostly OK with it as well. That's enough votes.
They won't create eight divisions of four teams, and they won't try to make travel equally sucky for everyone.
So what are we looking at? Seattle obviously gets added to the Pacific Division, being a Pacific Coast team.
There are probably just two choices. Move 1) Arizona from the Pacific to the Central Division and call it a day, or else 2) move Colorado to the Pacific and the Alberta teams to the Central division. I expect it will be the simplest route, impacting the fewest number of teams (Arizona to the Central, Seattle to the Pacific). Four divisions of eight teams each.
They aren't going to do that. Why? Because in the East, the travel is too good. None of the Metropolitan teams will see the division blown up, and the Atlantic teams are mostly OK with it as well. That's enough votes.
They won't create eight divisions of four teams, and they won't try to make travel equally sucky for everyone.
So what are we looking at? Seattle obviously gets added to the Pacific Division, being a Pacific Coast team.
There are probably just two choices. Move 1) Arizona from the Pacific to the Central Division and call it a day, or else 2) move Colorado to the Pacific and the Alberta teams to the Central division. I expect it will be the simplest route, impacting the fewest number of teams (Arizona to the Central, Seattle to the Pacific). Four divisions of eight teams each.
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and 99 others
la la la la la la la... a little bit alexis
- Jul 27, 2011
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Wow I’m dumb, today I learned playoffs only work in multiples of 4. Does that mean if owners want to expand the number of playoff teams they would need to expand it so all 32 make it? What?
Goldenshark
Registered User
This is it in a nutshell, it’s going to be one of these two choices. The OP should create a poll.
I believe the Alberta teams will be leaving and Colorado will be coming back to the Pacific along with Seattle for a couple reasons.
Arizona is in the Pacific time zone for half the year which is the beginning and end of the season along with the playoffs. I don’t think Chicago or Nashville fans want to watch Pacific start times if their teams meet the Coyotes in the playoffs.
Also Arizona is Vegas’s closest geographic team without a rival we know how the league wants to build rivalries and not split them up.
Nah. Edmonton and Alberta to Central, Colorado to Pacific.
Seems silly to move Arizona to the Central.
Probably comes down to how the NHL wants to setup its playoff format.
Think the league wants to match up time zones for playoffs. I suspect that the NHL will go to a divisional format and eliminate the WC and just do 1 vs 4, and 2 vs 3 within the divisions.
Van, Sea, SJ, LA, Ana, LV are all PST.
Edm, Cal, and Col are all MST.
Chi, Win, Min, Nas, StL, Dal, are all CST.
AZ is both MST and PST since that state does not observe daylight savings. MST from the time we Fall back in November until we spring ahead in March. So, they spend around 70% of the regular season in MST. Come playoff time, they are PST.
Who knows when the Coyotes will finally have their long term future resolved. They still want out of Glendale but want to remain in AZ, but there's no other building for them to play in their desired location of Phoenix/Scottsdale. So, something has to give sooner or later. Either they make it work in Glendale, or hope for some miracle that the Suns are sold to someone who would like to share or outright own the Coyotes and play in 1 common arena in Phoenix (this option is highly unlikely).
If the Coyotes were long term in AZ, I could see a scenario where the NHL opts to align the PST zone teams come playoff time together, thus would mean AZ and COL go to the Pacific, shifting Cal and Edm to join Win and the others in the Central.
But, all that depends on where the Coyotes are long term. Cause, I doubt the NHL wants a CST vs PST zone time in the playoffs if they are doing a divisional format.
Nah I think 20 teams could work...
6 teams: Division champs and next two best teams get a bye
4 teams: Play wildcard games (or 3 game series?)
Result: 8 team playoff with the 6 bye teams and 2 wild card winners
Go Wings
Registered User
I dont know why the NHL makes things complicated just make 2 conferences and get rid of divisions. 1 plays 8 in the playoffs just like it used to be.
Move Arz to Houston, Fla to Quebec and Car back to Hartford. Add Seattle problems solved.
Sorry Kansas City no one cares
Move Arz to Houston, Fla to Quebec and Car back to Hartford. Add Seattle problems solved.
Sorry Kansas City no one cares
Cause in the west, there would be 7 PST, 3 MST and 6 CST zone teams for playoffs. Expect them to go with divisional style playoffs rather than a few CST vs PST match ups.
weastern bias
worst team in the league
GoBluz24
Established 1967
Not saying I like this but it's another option not mentioned yet. 3 divisions per conference. Top 2 each division plus 2 wild cards make playoffs. Divisions could look like this:
Pacific: SJ, LA, ANA, AZ, LV
Northwest: SEA, VAN, CGY, EDM, WPG
Central: DAL, STL, NASH, CHI, MIN, COL
Southeast: FLA, TB, CAR, CLB, WAS
Atlantic: NYI, NYR, NJ, PHI, PIT
Northeast: BOS, OTT, MTL, TOR, BUFF, DET
Pacific: SJ, LA, ANA, AZ, LV
Northwest: SEA, VAN, CGY, EDM, WPG
Central: DAL, STL, NASH, CHI, MIN, COL
Southeast: FLA, TB, CAR, CLB, WAS
Atlantic: NYI, NYR, NJ, PHI, PIT
Northeast: BOS, OTT, MTL, TOR, BUFF, DET
Boulder Avalanche
Pull the Goalie
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Going to 3 divisions per conference makes sense in order to preserve rivalries and potentially spark new ones. GoBluz24 is what I would do in order to try to balance out travel and have regional rivalries.
StumpyTown
Registered User
- Sep 26, 2016
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What has Central America have to do with this.
:: Da** it. Someone beat me to this one.
I like the 4-team divisions I’ve seen here. Not bad at all. To your point about the NHL emulating the NFL; it would be a refreshing change from the NHL always trying to copy the NBA.
Not So Mighty
Enjoy your freedom, you wintertimer.
Vegas stays in the Pacific over Arizona 10 times out of 10. Not only is it geographically more logical, but there is a built in rivalry with LA that will become more apparent over time.
