While NHL expansion isn't imminent, the league has taken a big step toward potentially adding teams by reportedly agreeing to expansion draft rules.
According to Gary Lawless of TSN 1290 on Friday, the NHL and the NHLPA came to terms. Lawless explained what that could mean:
Lawless added that "no-moves must be protected by teams. No-trade clauses [are] not exempt and can be left exposed."
The NHL currently boasts 30 teams, but there is an imbalance, with 16 in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western, which could make expanding an attractive option.
The three primary cities that have been linked to potential NHL expansion in recent months are Las Vegas, Quebec City and Seattle.
Las Vegas and Quebec City filed expansion applications in July 2015.
Vegas may be the favorite to land a team because of the opening of the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena, which would make for an ideal NHL venue, per Tim Newcomb of SI.com.
While Quebec also boasts a new ...
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Article written by Mike Chiari