I thought that I would jump in on the talk of the possible realignment in the National Hockey League (NHL).  Of contention is the move before the start of the 2011-2012 season of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg to become the new Winnipeg Jets.  The Thrashers had played in the Southwest Division of the Eastern Conference, meaning that the Jets have a lot of travelling to compete against other Divisional and Conference competitors.

The issue of realigning the NHL due to this move has raised questions about teams that could easily play in the Eastern Conference instead of the Western Conference, namely the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbes Blue Jackets.  The Blue Jackets are an obvious contender, while Detroit can certainly compete with the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division of the Western Conference as they do now.

The current structure of the NHL is as follows:

The simpliest solution, which I contend is the best option, would be for the Winnipeg Jets to move from the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference to the Central Division of the Western Conference.  The Columbus Blue Jackets, located in central Ohio, would move in the exact opposite direction, and thus would become a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference.

As such, the new alignment would be as follows:

This realignment is simple, but it would accomplish what is required – the Jets would become a member of the Western Conference where they clearly belong, but would also keep 15 teams in each conference.  The balance gives teams a more equal opportunity to reach the playoffs.

As for the playoffs, I believe that the current number of eight teams per conference should remain as is.  I would only make one change.  The division leaders currently are automatically in the playoffs and ranked number 1-3.  The number 4-8 positions are then based on the total points.  The change I would make is that the divisional leaders would be guaranteed a playoff spot, but would only be guaranteed the 6th, 7th, and 8th playoff spots.  To rank higher, a team would have to achieve enough points to do so.

Under this scenario, if a divisional leader – let’s say Carolina Hurricanes – they would be allowed to see post season action even if they finish 9th overall in the Eastern Conference.  Although this scenario is unlikely as a divisional leader is likely to be seeded in the top eight positions, a team in a weak conference cannot be automatically given the 3rd seed simply because it is a divisional leader.

So, let’s welcome the Jets to the Western Conference and the Blue Jackets to the Eastern Conference.