With the realigned NHL divisions and playoff format, the new divisions seem to have isolated the teams from the rest of the NHL. Sure, everyone plays everybody else, but the battles and rivalries that will develop within the division have more of a direct impact than ever on playoff success than ever before.

Expect there to be certain bragging rights as the season unfolds. We are already seeing a domination by Western Conference teams over the East and there is definitely going to be some posturing from fan bases that will declare that their division is the toughest in the NHL.

Well put your ill-conceived speculation to rest because I’m going to power rank the four divisions for you at this point in the season. These rankings will change throughout the year so don’t get pouty if your division isn’t ranked the best. Remember also, this is for the entire division, so Atlantic fans; you can thank Buffalo for not being ranked higher.

4. Metropolitan Division

With such a pretentious (and ridiculous) name, you would expect more from this group. Slow starts from five of eight teams have the Metro bringing up the rear in the inaugural rankings. Pittsburgh might be one of the top teams in the league, but they are one of only two teams in the division with a winning record. Given the lofty expectations for the New York teams (Islanders and Rangers), Philadelphia and even Washington, the poor results have the Metro sitting fourth. Probably the easiest decision of the four.

3. Atlantic Division 

Sorry Eastern Conference apologists, but at this moment the NHL is dominated by the Western Conference. The (Flor)Atlantic looks to be the stronger and deeper of the two east divisions, but they are dragged down by the Buffalo Sabres who are an absolute train wreck right now. Expect them to get worse as they move Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek very soon. Detroit, Boston, Toronto and Montreal have performed well and Tampa Bay is a nice surprise. Ottawa will get better as the season progresses and could help the overall status of the division.

2. Central Division

The gap between the Atlantic and Central is much closer than you might think, but the top teams in the Central are slightly better right now. Plus, there’s Buffalo. Sorry Sabres fans. Everyone keeps expecting the Avalanche to lose, but Colorado keeps winning. Chicago and St. Louis could end up as the top two teams in the NHL by the end of the year. Nashville and Winnipeg have shown flashes of what they are capable of. Dallas is bringing up the rear in the Central, and I expect them to leap frog at least three teams to get to the playoffs.

1. Pacific Division

Of course the best team in the league right now, San Jose, plays in the Pacific, but it’s the depth of the division that has been most impressive.  One team out of six has a losing record, and it’s not even Calgary! Edmonton has been surprisingly awful while the Flames have been surprisingly competitive. The top four teams in the Pacific have a combined record of 26-7-2 including several statement wins over Eastern Conference foes. I knew that the division would be top heavy, particularly with Anaheim and Los Angeles, but San Jose and Phoenix have far exceeded my expectations.