I think that may be true, but keep in mind there's a tradeoff.
Traditional rivalries (Hawks/Wings, Bruins/Habs, etc.) will almost surely be strengthened even more, as will new rivalries that are within the confines of the new divisions (Caps/Pens comes to mind).
The tradeoff; however, is that the creation of truly new rivalries outside of your current division will be almost impossible aside from the relatively unlikely occasion of teams meeting against each other in the cup finals several times in a row or some such thing. In other words, your current rivalries get better, but your available pool of potential rivalries decreases.
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