NHL realignment not as easy as it looks

Sometimes, the easiest move happens to be the best one.



The NHL is expected to juggle its divisions after this season and pull the Winnipeg Jets [nee: Atlanta Thrashers] out of the Southeast Division. The obvious move is swapping Winnipeg for Nashville in the Central Division and moving forward, but it's not likely to be that simple when NHL's Board of Governors meet in December.



Detroit has been in the Western Conference since the NHL dumped the Price of Wales and Campbell conferences in 1993. The Red Wings for years have pleaded to move into the Eastern Conference and away from the longer travel. Many believe the Red Wings, as an Original Six team, model franchise and good soldier, should have first dibs.



Fair enough, but it doesn't mean they'll get their wish. Detroit will determine the contentiousness of the meetings by how hard its pushes. Twenty votes are required to approve realignment.



The NHL could switch Detroit and Winnipeg, but it doesn't solve every problem. The Wings would have fewer trips to the West Coast and western Canada, but they would still be out of place and actually wind up with more travel inside the division if Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay remained in the Southeast.



It's not as if the Red Wings have the toughest travel schedule in the NHL. According to ontheforecheck.com, 12 teams will pile up more air miles Detroit this season. The list includes Florida and Tampa Bay, which are in the Eastern Conference.



Detroit is one of the most popular teams in the league and makes for a good sell in hockey outposts such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix, Nashville and Columbus. The Wings are a bigger draw than the other candidates looking to move East, but along comes this question: Should they be punished for being good?



Columbus and Nashville can make arguments about travel, too. Dallas plays in the Pacific Division. Minnesota should be playing in the Central but instead plays in the Northwest. One option would be reconfiguring several divisions in both conferences and starting over.



Imagine a Midwest Division that would include Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Columbus. It sounds like a good mix, but it means taking the Leafs away from the Canadiens and Senators, the Penguins away from the Flyers and the Red Wings away from the Blackhawks.



The change would be too radical, the trickle-down effect massive, the possibilities numerous, the arguments endless. Ultimately, the NHL needs to do what's best for the league and not what's best for Detroit. Nashville and Winnipeg should switch places while the NHL waits to see if the Coyotes remain in Phoenix.



Olli's new approach



Flames center Olli Jokinen was off to a good start with five points in his first six games and looking more like the player who was good for 30 goals and 80 points earlier in his career. He had a miserable start last season and finished with 17 goals and 54 points with wholesale new era hats.



The difference, he says, is more mental than physical. The 32-year-old has been preparing for every game by speaking to his psychologist and concentrating on three aspects. He also has been trying to approach every game as if it could be his last one, which has helped motivate him.



"It helps me relax, helps me prepare for the games, so it's been good," Jokinen said. "In this league everybody's big, everybody's strong enough, everybody can skate, everybody can score. I think what difference makes a top player is mental preparation. If your head is not there, it's tough to play."