Speculation: Impact of potential expansion draft

[Giacomin]

Years ago the Rangers exposed a very good goalie Cesar Maniago in the expansion draft because the had Eddie G. and Gilles Villemure ahead of him on their depth chart. The local press killed the Rangers but they had the last laugh as they Eddie G. and Villemure won a Vezina together.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Keep Klein, expose J. Moore

Trade Klein to free up cap space and keep Moore.

That would be what I would do.

 

[Ola]

They would definitely have to be protected in order to keep them. I don't think the team would be forced to protect them. The no movement, legally speaking, only would seem to deal with pro-active team moves (trading, sending down, etc.). A passive action of not protecting shouldn't be covered under a NMC.

I googled around some, think I saw some passage about teams being forced to protect NMCs.

 

[Ola]

Typically in past expansion drafts young prospects would be exempt to a certain age or to a certain amount of years they've been professionals (two or three). If it's two years (most likely scenario) for this year Miller and McIlrath would be automatically protected--for next year they wouldn't. Fast with one year pro would still be protected next year.

Almost all teams are going to opt for protecting 1 goalie, 5 defensemen, 9 forwards. There would be some chance we would lose Talbot but there would be a number of goalies available.

If there were 4 franchises at one time we would probably lose 5-6 players. If there were two teams it would be around 3. I really don't see 4 teams coming in at once. Apart from 1968 when the NHL doubled it's size from 6 to 12 teams the only other time more than two teams came on board at the same time was after the WHA collapsed. Edmonton, Hartford (Carolina), Winnipeg (Phoenix), Quebec City (Colorado)--former WHA franchises came into the NHL then. I might be missing someone. Those teams if I remember correctly were allowed to keep some of their own players--for instance Wayne Gretzky had signed with the Indianapolis Racers when he was 16 or 17 and had never been drafted by an NHL team. The Racers had shortly thereafter traded him to the WHA version of the Edmonton Oilers where he'd played a couple seasons already. Edmonton was allowed to keep him.

IMO if the NHL decides to expand again--they will expand two teams and the likelihood is stronger that they'll expand out west and even out the conferences to 16 teams apiece. Currently with 8 teams out of 14 making the playoffs out west and 8 out of 16 in the east it would balance things out. Typically the NHL regular season schedule has also expanded with expansion. Anyway there are places out west--Seattle, Las Vegas, Portland Ore., San Diego, Milwaukee that could handle an NHL team. In the east I know Quebec City is very much wanting a team--there have been rumors about Hamilton Ont. or another team in the Toronto metropolitan area.

Which brings us to London, England, Stockholm or Helsinki but if that ever happens it is probably farther down the line than the next few years.

It was two year pro experience, not NHL experience. Ie Miller and McIlrath got that...

 

[pld459666]

You have never been able to make players with NMCs available before...

when was the last expansion draft where we have NMC's?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I googled around some, think I saw some passage about teams being forced to protect NMCs.

That's because NMCs didn't exist.

 

[theFiGS]

What happens to a players NMC during expansion draft? Say we leave Nash unprotected.

 

[Ail]

What happens to a players NMC during expansion draft? Say we leave Nash unprotected.

I would imagine they get the "too bad, so sad" treatment. It would create a loophole for teams to be able to leave any player with a NMC unprotected because they could not be selected anyway.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I would imagine they get the "too bad, so sad" treatment. It would create a loophole for teams to be able to leave any player with a NMC unprotected because they could not be selected anyway.

This is what I think happens, personally.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

So is this expansion fix? Or are we speculating if it actually will happen?

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Gary Bettman is a great man and a true hockey fan.

I can assure you that he has the core fan's interest in his heart as he contemplates adding teams to the league.

-Paid Corporate Sell-Out

 

[Hunter Gathers]

So is this expansion fix? Or are we speculating if it actually will happen?

I am fairly sure it will happen sooner rather than later.

 

[Tawnos]

So is this expansion fix? Or are we speculating if it actually will happen?

I think it's pretty obvious that expansion is going to happen at this point. But all of this uproar is hilarious, because there's literally no more real news than there a week ago.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I've come around on expansion, FWIW.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Just think how bad it would be if the team had to be assembled via Free Agency right now. The left wings might be workable, but those right wings... (had to use Whitney..just nothing available).

Something like:

Malone - Loktionov - Whitney
Penner - Koivu - Bertuzzi
Leino - Handzus - Wyman
Carter - Konopka - Ryan Jones
Parros

Pitkanen - Sarich
McBain - Peckham
Tallinder - Diaz
C.O. Roussel

Bryzgalov
Thomas



10-68-4 record? Too generous?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

And that's just one team. They'll expand by two.

 

[Charlie Conway]

And that's just one team. They'll expand by two.

Well, Bertuzzi is now a top-line forward and Thomas is still a starting goaltender.

In all seriousness, I'm not opposed to expansion, but I just wonder how this is going to work when some teams are suffering financially as it is.

That said, a fair number of guys have left for the KHL due to a lack of jobs or opportunity to move up in the roster.. Two teams worth of spots (13 F, 7 D, 2 G) make for 44 more available jobs at the NHL level alone, especially if an expansion draft moves some players around. Might make for less flight-risk.

 

[Tawnos]

Well, Bertuzzi is now a top-line forward and Thomas is still a starting goaltender.

In all seriousness, I'm not opposed to expansion, but I just wonder how this is going to work when some teams are suffering financially as it is.

That said, a fair number of guys have left for the KHL due to a lack of jobs or opportunity to move up in the roster.. Two teams worth of spots (13 F, 7 D, 2 G) make for 44 more available jobs at the NHL level alone, especially if an expansion draft moves some players around. Might make for less flight-risk.

What do other teams financial situation have to do with any prospective expansion?

Also, there are only something like 2 or 3 teams in anything resembling trouble. If that many.

 

[Charlie Conway]

What do other teams financial situation have to do with any prospective expansion?

Also, there are only something like 2 or 3 teams in anything resembling trouble. If that many.

Nothing. I'm just saying that it might make more sense to move a team out of a struggling market to a more welcoming one. Obviously that's not the plan by any means, never mind if there are investors wanting their own team, but just a thought.

 

[Tawnos]

Nothing. I'm just saying that it might make more sense to move a team out of a struggling market to a more welcoming one. Obviously that's not the plan by any means, never mind if there are investors wanting their own team, but just a thought.

What struggling teams are in a relocatable situation though? Name more than 1. I bet I can knock them down.

In fact, I think there's only 1 struggling market in the entire league and it's not what you think. Lots of bad management out there though.

 

[Charlie Conway]

What struggling teams are in a relocatable situation though? Name more than 1. I bet I can knock them down.

In fact, I think there's only 1 struggling market in the entire league and it's not what you think. Lots of bad management out there though.

Relocatable situation right now? As far as I know, none. The Isles signed the new Brooklyn lease and the Coyotes are better-situated in Arizona right now.

I did have some concern about the Stars, but they seem to be doing okay.

 

[Tawnos]

Relocatable situation right now? As far as I know, none. The Isles signed the new Brooklyn lease and the Coyotes are better-situated in Arizona right now.

I did have some concern about the Stars, but they seem to be doing okay.

You're right, there aren't any. Things can change fast though. The important thing about lease issues is when there's an out clause available. The soonest that I know of (at least in markets that aren't very healthy) is in Arizona, where there is an out clause that kicks in 4 years from now, provided the team lost $50m in the first 5 years of the deal. If expansion is happening towards this end of the decade, we're going to know about it in the next couple of years. Nothing brewing on the horizon for relocation. As I said, things can change fast, but it doesn't look likely.

By the way, the one struggling market I mentioned is actually NYC. I've come to the conclusion over the years that it just isn't a 3 team hockey market.

 

[Charlie Conway]

You're right, there aren't any. Things can change fast though. The important thing about lease issues is when there's an out clause available. The soonest that I know of (at least in markets that aren't very healthy) is in Arizona, where there is an out clause that kicks in 4 years from now, provided the team lost $50m in the first 5 years of the deal. If expansion is happening towards this end of the decade, we're going to know about it in the next couple of years. Nothing brewing on the horizon for relocation. As I said, things can change fast, but it doesn't look likely.

By the way, the one struggling market I mentioned is actually NYC. I've come to the conclusion over the years that it just isn't a 3 team hockey market.

You're much more knowledgeable about this than I am. I tip my hat.

You got me on that one. I never would've expected NYC to be a struggling market, truthfully, but it makes sense.

Nice 5-stringer, by the way.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

The on ice product really hit its stride after the last 4 teams were added starting in 1998.

I for one hope the NHL doesn't play it too conservative and they add the 4-5 additional teams this league needs. The clutch-and-grab era still holds a special place in my heart, and a revival of that era would make a Game Center Live multi-year subscription more than justifiable.

If Bettman plays his cards right and the Quebec separatist party wins, the NHL could finally be tri-national when the Quebec Nordiques have the first pick in the 35 team expansion draft.

 

[Zil]

I would imagine they get the "too bad, so sad" treatment. It would create a loophole for teams to be able to leave any player with a NMC unprotected because they could not be selected anyway.

That gives the union ground to demand something in exchange, possibly a chunk of the expansion fees. Players aren't going to cede their NMCs en masse for nothing.