It's official: We've set sail on a season unlike any other in the NHL.
Sure, there's still a fixed number of scheduled games. And the same major awards that engender the same major arguments will be handed out shortly after one of the 30 active teams emerges as a Stanley Cup champion. As is customary.
But behind the motivations, intentions, and decisions made in pursuit of a title will be the list of players each general manager is required to submit for protection ahead of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
There's plenty of time to prepare for this bit of administrative work; the third Saturday next June is almost 50 weeks from now. But there are teams at a higher risk of losing an indispensable asset.
Here are five most likely to be affected by expansion:
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steve Yzerman must finally surrender something.
After working wonders to keep his team intact as the salary parameters tightened on his roster like a hand-spun vise, the Lightning GM will be without the means to escape expansion without losing a serviceable asset, or even a future star.
With Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula having no-movement clauses in their deals, and Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin each requiring safety, Las Vegas could see the likes of Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brian Boyle, and Cedric Paquette exposed.
But each of those forwards will be safe if Yzerman fails with his next most pressing chore. Goaltender Ben Bishop must not only be dealt over the next 11-plus months, but for a return asset exempt from the expansion process.
Anaheim Ducks
With Kevin Bieksa problematically holding a no-movement ticket, and a comparable amount of desirable assets on the back end as compared to up front, Anaheim could potentially choose to expose more skaters to protect its talented defensive corps.
Let's say Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler are preserved along with Bieksa, that leaves only Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler (who also has a no-movement clause), and either Rickard Rakell or Jakob Silfverberg safe.
As it is tentatively, Bob Murray will have to expose a legitimate top-six talent in a group that would likely also include Nick Ritchie, Andrew Cogliano, and Simon Despres to avoid losing a mega-talented, puck-moving defenseman.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are similar to Anaheim in that the incoming franchise would likely target their defense. But even if they decide to save four, a fairly significant asset will still be dangled.
Minnesota has four defenders, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Marco Scandella, signed for at least another four years, as well as Matt Dumba, the talented former first-rounder scheduled to graduate from entry-level status when he negotiates a deal this summer.
Up front, Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, and Jason Pominville are ensured their futures, while Eric Staal, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, and Erik Haula make nine (of a maximum seven forwards) Minnesota would prefer to retain.
Dallas Stars
The NHL's most potent attack will have much to consider when determining its seven protected forwards.
Jason Spezza has a no move, and Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Cody Eakin will absolutely claim the next three spots. That leaves Patrick Sharp, who had a productive, but not necessarily indispensable impact in his first season; Ales Hemsky, the veteran winger with the club's fourth-best even-strength scoring rate; Valeri Nichushkin and Brett Ritchie, lottery talents still working to carve out meaningful roles; and Radek Faksa, who rode a quick-climbing trajectory in what was a fantastic rookie season.
And on top of that, John Klingberg may be the most experienced of the three protected on the back end, with touted prospects Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell both eligible with just 18 NHL games between them.
Nashville Predators
It's not a question of if; the Predators will protect four defensemen.
Without even having performed a line change, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis are being touted as the NHL's best, or at least its most contemporary top four. But keeping them together for more than one season will require a skilled casualty.
Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and James Neal will fill up three of the four protected slots up front, meaning either Mike Ribeiro, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson, Viktor Arvidsson, or Calle Jarnkrok is tentatively headed to Vegas.
