NHL realignment-Bettman gets one right??

Today with the Devils and Seahawks playing tonight and my vacation nearing its end (two more days),I hope to try to get caught up with some of the promised posts from my day trips.
I'll start with the NHL realignment plan.
In short and to my surprise-I like it.
I could do without this silliness of all four being called "conferences" instead what they are in "divisions",but that is a minor quibble at best.

The New NHL!!!1

My main problem with it is that the two Western groups (Although they do not call them that) have eight teams in each of their two,while the Eastern has just seven in theirs.
In other words,if you play in the Western side-you have an extra team to have to finish ahead of to make the playoffs.
My fix would be simple for that-add the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Eastern bunch and everything equals out nicely.
This could still work out without touching anything as Phoenix could move and the new city could slip into a current seven team conference easily if needed (Quebec City?).

Other than that-I really like it.
Now you play every team in the league home and home every year (Check!),you get to play the teams inside your division (oops,conference) the most times for rivalries (Check!) and you return to the fiercest battles in the hockey world-two rounds of playoff hockey inside your group against the rivals and teams that you know best (HUGE Check!).

For the Devils,the plan worked out for the gate,but on the ice,the Devils group looks to be the toughest top to bottom with the three New York area teams (Devils,Islanders and Rangers) and the two Pennsylvania teams (Flyers and Penguins) that currently make up the Northeast Division being joined by former Patrick Division foe Washington and the Carolina Hurricanes.
But,I like it because this is going to be the toughest division and the best to watch hard hitting hockey in of the bunch,so I really think this is going to work out.

Winnipeg loses somewhat as they were placed with Chicago,Columbus,Dallas,Detroit,Minnesota,Nashville and St.Louis and being the only Canadian team in the group.
I am sure the Jets would have preferred being placed with the Flames,Oilers and Canucks,but as the team grows,I would bet that rivalries will start with Minnesota and maybe someone else.

I hope the league returns to tradition and renames the conferences like the old divisions-Patrick,Adams,Norris and Smythe,but if not here are my four names for them based on legends-Orr,Howe,Richard and Hull.

All and all-a good idea as I shake my head that Gary Bettman might have gotten one right...