The NHL is uneven at 31 teams. That could change soon, as Gary Bettman has invited Seattle to apply for expansion. Should the new franchise join the league in 2020-21, it's a coup for the NHL; the league has long coveted Seattle, plus other owners would relish in the $650 million expansion fee.
The only problem? Symmetry would push a significant imbalance in the two Western divisions, calling for realignment. We've thought long and hard about this scenario, and below present what we believe to be the most perfect NHL divisions.
Oh, and another thing: We're bringing back the old-school divisional names.