Report: Uncertainty Surrounding NHL Expansion
There has been a lot of talk about NHL expansion over the last couple years. This summer, Quebec City and Las Vegas formally submitted applications for consideration. While those cities and the league continue the process of consideration, there are potential issues for the teams already in the NHL.
Adding new franchises – not relocations – to the league comes with a lot of questions.
- What will the impact of two new franchises on financial issues like the salary cap?
- How will the Canadian dollar impact a team in Quebec?
- And, perhaps most importantly, how will they fill their rosters?
Of course, an expansion draft would take place. The last time the NHL held an expansion draft was in 2000, when Columbus and Minnesota entered the league (or, more appropriately, re-entered in the case of Minnesota). In that selection process, 52 players were picked by the two teams. Chicago lost defenseman Radim Bicanek to Columbus and center Jeff Daw to Minnesota.
But in his “30 Thoughts” column on Thursday, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman points out one intriguing issue that is apparently still outstanding.
Question being asked by agents and team execs: is a player with a no-move clause exempt from an expansion draft? What about a partial no-trade? This one’s going to be interesting.
According to GeneralFanager.com, the Blackhawks currently have six players with No Move Clauses on their contracts: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford. (Note: CapFriendly.com indicates Hjalmarsson has a No Trade Clause.)
Marian Hossa, Bryan Bickell and Trevor Daley have No Trade Clauses on their contracts right now, while the five-year deal Artem Anisimov signed with the Blackhawks earlier this summer also has a NTC.
How these clauses play into an expansion draft scenario will be big for every team, and the Blackhawks certainly will need to consider that when retaining players moving forward before any expansion takes place.
A no movement clause would have to be enforced. No trade probably not. It’s not technically a trade.
If the NHL expands by 2 teams that 1billion is dispersed among the current 30 owners. That money is not part of HRR. Each owner gets 33 million (before taxes) for letting 2 guys join their club.
Jeremy Jacobs had some interesting comments regarding expansion. It sounds like he’s opposed to more east expansion. He liked the idea of Vegas. Loved Seattle, and even threw the idea of Houston into the mix. Lately I’ve heard people mention a team in Wisconsin.
Cap friendly also has TVR down in the AHL so unless I missed something….
Is expansion anything more than a cash grab for the owners? (GREED)
Very interesting….
Here were the expansion draft rules back in 2000 courtesy of http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-expansion-draft-whos-unprotected/
1.) Choose to protect either nine forwards, five defensemen, and one goalie or seven forwards, three defensemen, and two goalies
2.) If protecting one goalie, there is no experience requirement for the goalie left unprotected. If protecting two goalies, they must leave one goalie unprotected who played in at least 10 games the prior season, or 25 combined games over the past two seasons
3.) Teams must leave one defenseman and two forwards unprotected who played 40 NHL games the prior season, or 70 combined games over the prior two seasons
4.) Players on entry-level contracts are automatically exempt, and every existing team will have exactly two players selected
Based on today’s roster, here is how things could look using the same rules from above…
Chicago Blackhawks
Protected (9F, 5D, 1G)
F: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw, Ryan Garbutt, Artem Anisimov, Marcus Kruger, Kris Versteeg, Bryan Bickell
D: Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Trevor Daley,
G: Corey Crawford
Notable Exempt: Teuvo Teravainen, Marko Dano
Notable Unprotected: Joakim Nordstrom, Viktor Tikhonov, Andrew Desjardins, Jeremy Morin, David Rundblad, Scott Darling
Panarin wasn’t mentioned but he has an entry level contract so he would be exempt also.
Nordstrom and Versteeg are no longer here.
GoldenBladz – Good call. I guess the link wasn’t completely up to date. I think the big picture view is to give us a potential idea of what could possibly happen if expansion happens.