So what would happen to divisions...

[Datsyerberger 279]

If the Yotes were to move to Kansas City? There's a reasonable chance KC rather than Winnipeg is a destination if Phoenix doesn't make the cut in the coming months. Such a move could really screw with the divisional structure. First off, who gets moved to the Pacific? Secondly, Detroit, Columbus, Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, and Kansas City would make a logical division geographically, but there's one too many. I think it's reasonable to say that one option involves Detroit moving east.

Option 1 (Detroit goes east, Atlanta goes west):

Central (aka expansion fail division)

Atlanta

Nashville

St. Louis

Kansas City

Columbus

Northwest (Raging Chicago fans division)

Chicago

Minnesota

Edmonton

Calgary

Vancouver

Pacific (Youch, tough division)

San Jose

Anaheim

Los Angeles

Dallas

Colorado

Northeast (aka half the Stanley cups division)

Montreal

Toronto

Buffalo

Detroit

Ottawa

New England (These cities hate eachothers' guts division)

NYR

NYI

Boston

New Jersey

Washington

Atlantic (aka Pennsylvania fights over the scraps division0

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Carolina

Florida

Tampa Bay

Option 2 resembles Option 1, but with some slightly different movement

Central (aka expansion fail division)

Atlanta

Nashville

St. Louis

Kansas City

Columbus

Northwest (Raging Chicago fans division)

Chicago

Minnesota

Edmonton

Calgary

Colorado

Pacific

San Jose

Anaheim

Los Angeles

Dallas

Vancouver

Northeast

Montreal

Toronto

Buffalo

Detroit/Boston

Ottawa

Atlantic

NYR

NYI

Boston/Detroit

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Southeast

New Jersey

Washington

Carolina

Florida

Tampa Bay

And now on to the options with no conference switching

Option 3. This is built around the fact the NHL would be insane not to exploit KC vs STL:

Central

Minnesota

Detroit

Chicago

Columbus

Nashville

Middle of Nowhere

Dallas/Colorado

St. Louis

Kansas City

Calgary

Edmonton

Pacific

Vancouver

San Jose

Los Angeles

Anaheim

Colorado/Dallas

Option 4, similar to 3, but keeping NW canadian:

Central

Detroit

Minnesota

Chicago

Columbus

Nashville

Northwest

St Louis

Kansas City

Edmonton

Vancouver

Calgary

Pacific

San Jose

Anaheim

Los Angeles

Dallas

Colorado

Option 5, a bit more radical:

Northwest

Minnesota/Columbus

Edmonton

Calgary

Chicago

Detroit

Pacific

Vancouver

Los Angeles

Anaheim

Colorado

San Jose

Central

Columbus/Minnesota

Nashville

St Louis

Kansas City

Dallas

You can see how a western team moving to Kansas City could really screw with the divisions and/or conferences. It almost seems to me it'd be Detroit's ticket east, as it'd be easier to manage the western divisions with that move. You've got to wonder if that difficulty would make KC an undesirable move for a west coastish team (Nashville or Atlanta would work out better for the league in that case). Perhaps Winnipeg is the more desirable option to the NHL if Phoenix must move. Then later, if Nashville or Atlanta you need to move, you toss them in KC... the divisional changes would be much easier.