What NHL division realignment would you suggest when Winnipeg gets Atlanta's team?

From what I understand next year they will not align and the Southeast will contain Winnipeg in it.

However when they do align (eventually) I think they should do the following:

Northeast:

Boston

Montreal

Toronto

Buffalo

Ottawa

Atlantic:

Philadelphia

New Jersey

New York Rangers

New York Islanders

Pittsburgh

Southeast:

Washington

Nashville (New)

Florida

Tampa Bay

Carolina

Central:

Detroit

Chicago

Columbus

St. Louis

Dallas (New)

Northwest:

Minnesota

Vancouver

Winnipeg (New)

Calgary

Edmonton

Pacific:

San Jose

Los Angeles

Anaheim

Phoenix

Colorado (New)

Easiest and less troublesome. Winnipeg into Northwest pushing Colorado to the Central pushing Nashville to the Southeast.

Yes Detroit and Columbus are further east than Nashville but Nashville is further south. Minnesota is a geographical rival for Winnipeg, more so than Colorado. But I'm ambivalent on this move.

Yes I'd love to see Detroit in the east and Bettman owes Illitch a favour but the Chicago / St. Louis influence will stop that logic from occurring.

But there will be no logic in the realignment particularly when Columbus and Phoenix will be moving next year (after next lockout).

Nashville will move to the Southeast based on it being the least amount of disruption(at least in the Eastern Conference) The East is set up to be the easiest on travel time and costs for their divisions as well as rivalries. Since it was asked why they'd be the ones moved. I think the first answer has it right. The West is just too spread out to be set up the way the East is so they are going to be the Conference that is adjusted more off of it. Since the Southeast is already so spread out(for the Eastern Conference) adding Nashville really won't be a big deal. Putting Columbus in the Southeast just wouldn't make much sense(and likely keeping Nashville would add more travel time to the West) and moving Detroit would REALLY make no sense over Columbus.

Basically the league would have to make 3 moves for relocation.

Winnipeg would go to the Northwest and join Vancouver/Edmonton/Calgary/Colorodo

Minnesota would go to the Central and join Detroit/Chicago/Columbus/ St. Louis

Nashville would switch Conference and join the Southeast conference with Washington/Tampa Bay/Florida/Carolina.

Geographically speaking this makes the most sense... Also, it would cut travel costs down for Nashville as they won't have to travel nearly as many miles as they currently do. The move also benefits Minnesota for the same reason.

Winnipeg in the Northwest would be four canadian teams in the division all within relative proximity to each other.

Once it comes time for the divisions to be realigned, I suggest the following:

Winnipeg to Northwest

Colorado to Pacific

Dallas to Central

Detroit to Northeast

Boston to Atlantic

Philadelphia to Southeast

Smythe Division

Calgary Flames

Edmonton Oilers

Los Angeles Kings

Vancouver Canucks

Winnipeg Jets

I like Captain Percocet's realignment plan. I might also throw out there putting Vancouver in the Pacific Division instead of Colorado if keeping all four Canadian teams in the West in one division is not strictly necessary.

Captain Percocet's idea makes a lot of sense for both conferences. Yes, Nashville is west of Detroit and Columbus, but further south. And having Detroit change conferences would wreck a lot of rivalries they've built up over the years.

And this would also make the Baltimore Classic in September between Nashville and Washington a lot more fun.

Next year won't see any re-alignment.

For 2012-13 and beyond...put Nashville in the Southeast, put WPG in the Northwest, bump Denver out of the Northwest and into the Pacific, and bump Dallas into the Central. It would look like this:

NE: TOR, OTT, BUF, BOS, MTL

ATL: PIT, PHL, NYI, NYR, NJD

SE: FLA, TBL, CAR, WSH, NSH

NW: WPG, MIN, CGY, VAN, EDM

PAC: SJS, LAK, ANA, PHX, COL

CEN: DAL, DET, STL, CBJ, CHI

Rationale:

NSH: Help Nashville by giving them multiple visits from big-market eastern conf. teams (in turn for losing games against DET and CHI)

WPG: Give Winnipeg multiple all-Canadian games which helps TSN/CBC/RDS.

COL: Give Pacific time teams a break from having to travel across two time zones for divisional play (Pacific/Mountain).

DAL: Ease of travel burden, only one time zone separates entire division.

Under this plan all divisions are no more than one time zone apart.

i think it should be based on time zones when it comes to the west

1. north east

buffalo

montreal

ottawa

toronto

boston

2. atlantic

rangers

islanders

flyers

pens

devils

3. southeast

carolina

washington

tampa

florida

dallas

4.central...same

5.pacific

sharks

ducks

nucks

coyotes

kings

northeast

flames

oilers

avs

wild

winnpeg

this would make the most sense due to the fact that vancouver and all the pacific team are on the same time zone so travel would be less hectic..and dallas wouldnt have to travel as far to play its divisional games by having florida tampa and carolina in their division the time change is only 1 hour