Confirmed with Link: It's happening: All purpose expansion thread

[Micklebot]

Vegas could create it's own trade market.

Draft ~10 D that could be top 4 D, 20 forwards.

Trade 3 top 4 D quality guys to teams that lost their guy (for example, maybe the pick up guys like Methot, Gunnarsson, Scandella/Spurgeon, Ellis/Ekholm, Orpik, Johnson, Despres, Klein ext and then trade them back to the teams that lost a top 4 guy for some better forwards.

 

[PatrickEaves]

Boro would look good in a Black Knights jersey...

As if they would be dumb enough to take Boro off our list of unprotected players. It's a pretty nice dream though.

 

[Sun God Nika]

The boro contract and over use of him makes sense now.

my list
7 Forwards
1. Stone
2. Turris
3. Zibanejad
4. Hoffman
5. Ryan*
6. Lazar
7. Pageau

Unprotected forward. MacArthur

3 D (Assuming
1. Karlsson (No ****)
2. Phaneuf*
3. Ceci

Unprotected D, Methot, Claesson, Boro
exempt D, Chabot

Goalie
Hammond

Anderson unprotected

Let a team take Anderson so we don't lose Methot, or MacArthur. If Dion Phaneufs NMC is void because he got traded sub him out for Methot

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

I could see Jagr jumping at the chance to live in Vegas

 

[edguy]

The boro contract and over use of him makes sense now.

my list
7 Forwards
1. Stone
2. Turris
3. Zibanejad
4. Hoffman
5. Ryan*
6. Lazar
7. Pageau

Unprotected forward. MacArthur

3 D (Assuming
1. Karlsson (No ****)
2. Phaneuf*
3. Ceci

Unprotected D, Methot, Claesson, Boro
exempt D, Chabot

Goalie
Hammond

Anderson unprotected

Let a team take Anderson so we don't lose Methot, or MacArthur. If Dion Phaneufs NMC is void because he got traded sub him out for Methot

No way we leave Andy unprotected.. our goal tending would be as bad as the Flames-Leafs if we did that.

 

[Tragedy]

No way we leave Andy unprotected.. our goal tending would be as bad as the Flames-Leafs if we did that.

Hammond really isn't that bad. He had the 2nd best sv% at 5v5 in the league for goalies with 1000+ minutes played. He also had the worst 4v5% sv% in the league. If our team could PK I think we'd be happy with what he provides in net

 

[trentmccleary]

Neither of our goalies are worthy of being protected. The team should be looking for a possible long term solution from the teams with two good goalies to protect.

 

[Senscore]

Hammond really isn't that bad. He had the 2nd best sv% at 5v5 in the league for goalies with 1000+ minutes played. He also had the worst 4v5% sv% in the league. If our team could PK I think we'd be happy with what he provides in net

We're going to have to look for an Anderson replacement soon enough. It might end up being Hammond, or perhaps someone else. A lot of things can change between now and the expansion draft and I think it's entirely possible that Anderson could be unprotected, especially if Hammond takes a step up this coming year.

 

[stempniaksen]

I think Vegas taking Methot is an absolute no-brainer for them. Only thing that could shake that up is if we get creative with the players we leave available (Anderson) or if they plan on going with a full out youth movement and take Lazar.

 

[BK201]

I wonder where the second team will go. If it was Quebec IMO it would be done by now.

 

[stempniaksen]

I wonder where the second team will go. If it was Quebec IMO it would be done by now.

Seattle/Portland have to be the front runners right? Seems like the NHL would love to have a team int he Pacific Northwest and I haven't heard anything about Kansas City, Milwaukee, ect who have been rumoured in the past.

 

[Liver King]

The should be called the Vegas Gold

 

[Qward]

The should be called the Vegas Gold

The Vegas Cousin Eddy's

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

the Flush... could see this going the wrong way

the Flyers is taken ... Vegas has their own special brand

Black Knights it is

 

[Sensinitis]

The Little Caesar's

 

[saskriders]

Terrible name

Also feel Quebec got screwed, they had all their ducks in a row. Both cities should have got a team.

 

[Qward]

Terrible name

Also feel Quebec got screwed, they had all their ducks in a row. Both cities should have got a team.

I have a feeling they were up there, but with the uncertainty between Arizona and Carolina, the league was probably like "Hold off for a bit, we might be getting you a team at a better deal than $500M."

 

[JessicaN]

Team name should be The Jokers.

 

[Cosmix]

Terrible name

Also feel Quebec got screwed, they had all their ducks in a row. Both cities should have got a team.

Ducks, perhaps, but bucks appear to be in short supply!

 

[Hutz]

Neither of our goalies are worthy of being protected. The team should be looking for a possible long term solution from the teams with two good goalies to protect.

Agreed. TB, Pittsburgh, and Anaheim all stand to lose a pretty good goalie. Imo we should be talking to them. If we could get a younger starter, I'd gladly leave Anderson unprotected (Andy I love you, but age... you know). The trade market for these goalies may be weak since most teams already have a guy they want to protect. It's possible we could get one of their guys for a relatively good price, but may have to wait until after the season when the choice for them becomes A) lose them for nothing to LV, B) lose them for not nothing to us.

Edit: I wonder how Ben Bishop would feel about coming back.

 

[stempniaksen]

Edit: I wonder how Ben Bishop would feel about coming back.

That would be pretty close to the perfect scenario. Bishop is definitely the best goalie available, at least in the short term.

Next season: Anderson/Hammond
Season after: Bishop/Hammond
Season after: Bishop/O'Connor

 

[HoffStoneKarl*]

Bishop will cost us around 7 mill per year. Everyone ok with that?

 

[DrEasy]

"Black Knights"? I guess "Black Jacks" would've been confusing with Blue Jackets around.

"Black Aces" would be hockey relevant...

 

[Hutz]

Bishop will cost us around 7 mill per year. Everyone ok with that?

I would potentially be okay, but obviously it's not ideal. I don't like the future of our goaltending, though. Bishop would likely provide stability for longer than Anderson will. Whether you develop a top level goalie or sign one, he's eventually going to cost you 6+ million. Unfortunately I don't believe anyone in our system is going to be a bonafide NHL starter after Anderson. It doesn't have to be Bishop for me, but yeah if it came down to it, I'd pay 7 million per if I felt it meant we had longer stability in net.

If there's a younger guy who can be had for a reasonable price and would cost less in salary, I'd be more than happy to go with that guy. Frederik Andersen might be, but I imagine he's going to be the most coveted of the potentially available goalies. He's not far away from a UFA type contract either.

Edit: Just to be clear, I don't advocate getting Bishop for 7 mil. I just don't have a lot of faith in our goaltending future and think the next year would be an ideal time to make a plan for the future. Bishop at 7 mil may be plan e, but I wouldn't write it off completely.

 

[BonkTastic]

Sources in Vegas saying that NHL Executive Committee have officially recommended Las Vegas as the lone Expansion team for 2017-18.

At this point, Foley (the Vegas owner) has to sign all of the paperwork and pay the expansion fee, and then league will make a big deal about it at the NHL Awards on the 22nd, which coincidentally is being held in Las Vegas.

This is it. Think of today in retail terms as the "soft opening", and the 22nd as the "grand opening". Vegas is open for business, but the celebration will be in two weeks.