NHL Realignment and Will it Affect the Vancouver Canucks?
Written by: Larry “The Nucks IceMan” Johnson
With the movement of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg it has been announced that the NHL should have the realignment completed by sometime in December of this year. This leaves an interesting opportunity for the Vancouver Canucks to consider another division in order to reduce their travel miles.
I was pondering this the other night and to me it makes more sense for the Canucks and their travel commitments, to move into the Pacific Division, since they are on the west coast. They would then join San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Phoenix, while Dallas, who is closer to the sun-belt cities, would replace Atlanta in the SE Division.
Actually Dallas is in no man’s land, just about in the centre of the southern US border, but definitely closer to Tampa and Florida. Winnipeg Jets meanwhile, would replace Vancouver in the NW Division.
The other divisions would remain intact and the realignment would then look something like this.
Pacific – Vancouver, San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Phoenix
North-West – Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota and Colorado
Central – Detroit, Nashville, Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus
South-East – Washington, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Florida and Dallas
North-East – Boston, Montreal, Buffalo, Toronto and Ottawa
Atlantic – Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, New York Rangers and New York Islanders
Personally, I would like to see Toronto and Detroit switch divisions but I’m sure the Leafs would squawk about that, because it would mean a bit more travelling.
Let’s see what sort of plan the NHL settles on in December.
Footnotes: My bad with the previous comment on Nolan Baumgartner and Ryan Parent. Both fit into the criteria (number NHL games played and the year they first signed an NHL contract) it takes to have to clear waivers, in order to be sent to the Chicago Wolves. Goaltender Matt Climie also falls into the same category.
I would expect Roberto Luongo to start in Anaheim on Wednesday and against Edmonton on Saturday, with Cory Schneider on Thursday. No word yet if Schneider picked up a lower body injury in the Anaheim game last Saturday.
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