Option 1:
Atlantic: TBL, FLA, BOS, BUF, DET, OTT, TOR, MTL
Metrolpolitan: PIT, CBJ, WSH, NYI, NYR, PHI, NJD, CAR
Central: DAL, NSH, CHI, WPG, MIN, COL, STL, EDM
Pacific: SEA, CGY, SJS, ANA, VAN, LAK, VGK, ARI
I kept everything the same except i put Edmonton in the central. Many could disagree here but they're the most eastern of the 9 correct pacific division teams and Seattle. Also, when i say SEA i mean Seattle.
Option 2:
Northeast: TOR, MTL, OTT, BOS
Metropolitan: NYR, NYI, NJD, BUF
Southeast: TBL, WSH, CAR, FLA
Atlantic: PIT, CBJ, PHI, DET
Pacific: LAK, ANA, SJS, VGK
Northwest: VAN, SEA, CGY, EDM
Central: WPG, MIN, CHI, STL
Southwest: ARI, COL, NSH, DAL
The names of the divisions may be kind of off, but i couldn't think of better names.
Option 3:
Skip Seattle and add Quebec into the Atlantic, and then move the Wings to the Central.
Option 4:
Some way to make sure both New York teams get in no matter how they do. Other that that i'm not sure what would happen, but something where that happens. lol, jk
Real option 4:
East: MTL, OTT, TOR, NYR, NYI, NJD, BOS, DET, CBJ, PIT, PHI, WSH, FLA, TBL, BUF, CAR
West: CGY, EDM, VAN, ARI, VGK, COL, SJS, ANA, MIN, LAK, NSH, SEA, CHI, STL, DAL, WPG
This would skip the idea of divisions.
Who makes the playoffs?:
Options 1 and 3 are the same idea as currently. Option 2 would be the top of each division and the other 4 making the playoffs. The top team in the conference plays number 4 of the non division winners, and on and on. For example (just for the East):
Pretend the standings went the same as this year has so far but Seattle is last (well, this doesn't matter, i'm using the East as an example), in this order in each division would be:
BOS - TOR - MTL - OTT
NJD - NYR - NYI - BUF
TBL - WSH - CAR - FLA
CBJ - PHI - PIT - DET
BOS, NJD, TBL, and CBJ would all make the playoffs, ranked TBL - BOS - NJD - CBJ
Now the top 4 non division winners in the East ranked: WSH - TOR - PHI - NYR
TBL vs. NYR
BOS vs. PHI
NJD vs. TOR
CBJ vs. WSH
So the 1st place division winner vs. the 4th non division winner, the 2nd division winner vs. 3rd non division winner, the 3rd division winner vs. the 2nd non division winner, and the 4th division winner vs. the 1st non division winner. Then the winners, ranked by point total (and tie breakers in league standings if needed), would go 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3. In the 1st round, division winners get home ice advantage, and in other rounds, the team who did better in the league standings gets home ice advantage. So TBL, BOS, NJD, and CBJ would have home ice advantage in the 1st round. So pretend the winners are TBL, PHI, NJD, and CBJ, they'd be ranked: TBL - NJD - CBJ - PHI
TBL vs. PHI
NJD vs. CBJ
TBL and NJD have home ice. So then say PHI and NJD won, then they'd play each other, and NJD has home ice advantage. Then let's say NJD wins. Then whoever's higher in the league standings of them and the Western team has home ice advantage.
Option 4 would be 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5, and then if 2, 5, 6, and 8 won, then 2 vs. 8 and 5 vs. 6. The top of the teams left in the playoffs in that conference vs. the bottom of those teams. The team with home ice advantage is obviously the higher team. When it gets to the final, it's about who was higher in the league standings for home ice.
So there are quite a few options.