NHL: 6 Teams That Will Be Hurt by the New Realignment

The NHL has decided instead of just moving the Winnipeg Jets to the Western Conference and either the Detroit Red Wings or Columbus Blue Jackets to the Eastern Conference that they will realign the entire NHL. The move was finalized after 26 of the 30 current NHL teams voted in favor of it.

With the new alignment, it dissolves the divisions and creates four separate conferences. The top four teams from each conference make the playoffs, then the conference champions will duke it out for a chance to go to the finals and ultimately the Finals.

Commissioner Gary Bettman saw a prime opportunity to pair up some of the game’s biggest games and rivalries. A couple of these are Washington vs. Pittsburgh and Vancouver vs. San Jose. Because of this, though, some teams had to suffer.

So who exactly are those teams?

1. Carolina Hurricanes

Did anyone get a worse deal than the Carolina Hurricanes under this new realignment? Undoubtedly not.

The Hurricanes shift from the weak Southeast Division that included the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals to a conference that includes the only powerhouse in their previous division, the Washington Capitals. Along with the Caps, Carolina now sits in a conference that includes NHL powerhouses, the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and up-and-coming New York Islanders.

As if that was not enough, without the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in their division, the closest division opponent for the Canes is the Capitals, a 280 mile trip.

2. New York Islanders

As if their division was not tough enough already.

The New York Islanders already had a tough division, competing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. The Islanders get the same division, add in perennial Eastern Conference powerhouse, Washington Capitals.

The Carolina Hurricanes were added at least but they are no slouch either. As long as the Penguins, Flyers, Rangers and Capitals continue to flourish, the Islanders won’t see the playoffs. The Islanders may not sniff the playoffs for the next decade.

3. Winnipeg Jets

Sure, this team needed to be in a conference towards the West. And sure, travel should be much easier now. But was the switch really worth it for the Jets?

The Jets went from a weak Southeast Division to a conference that includes the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. Their new conference averaged six more wins than the Southeast division last season.

If the Minnesota Wild can prove that their hot start is for real, this may end up being the toughest conference.

4. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks move from the cupcake Northwest Division to arguably the toughest division.

The Canucks had the most points in the NHL last season, 23 more than their next divisional opponent. To put in retrospect how dominating that is, only the three divisions in the Eastern Conference had larger differences going from the first place team to the last place team. The differences were 29, 33 and 35, respectively.

The Canucks move to a conference that includes four teams that scored at least 90 points last season and an Edmonton Oilers team that should be a force to come with the trio of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle.

5. Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a very similar situation to the New York Islanders. They are an up-and-coming team on the verge of breaking out, get moved to a much stronger conference.

They join San Jose, Anaheim, Phoenix and Los Angeles and bring along Vancouver and Calgary. With the trio of Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, they should be an elite team for years to come, but the new conference definitely presents more of a challenge.

Colorado Avalanche

While the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a similar situation as the New York Islanders. The Colorado Avalanche find themselves in an identical situation as the Islanders. With Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins and Hall, the Oilers are on the verge of becoming an elite team. 

The Avalanche have a solid of group with guys like Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene; but with San Jose, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Vancouver in their conference it may be awhile until they find themselves in the postseason.