Preliminary expansion draft parameters laid out, decision on bids expected in June
The NHL is slowly moving toward a decision on expansion, and it's expected before the 2016 NHL Entry Draft on June 24 and 25 in Buffalo, N.Y., TSN's Darren Dreger reports from the general managers meetings in Florida.
Dreger: Daly, Bettman drove home that "this is all still very speculative" on NHL expansion draft outline. Broad parameters.
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) March 16, 2016
With the league reviewing applications from Quebec City and Las Vegas, an expansion draft would be required should the league accept one or both bids. Each current NHL club would lose one player if the league expands by one team, and two players if both Quebec City and Las Vegas are welcomed into the league, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.
If expansion is a go, one or both of the new teams will begin play in the 2017-18 season.
Each team would have the option of protecting three defensemen, seven forwards, and one goalie, or eight skaters and a goalie, according to Dreger.
Teams must have a certain amount of salary exposed, plus positional concerns. 1st & 2nd yr pros will be exempt; 3rd yr ELC players eligible.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 16, 2016
Teams will have to "expose enough players which total at least 25 percent of (the) previous season's payroll," tweeted ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
"It might be a good player, but it's an important point that the most a team could lose is one player if we expand by one team," Daly said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
NHL hasn't decided on players with NMCs being eligible for expansion draft. But expectation is they will not be available for selection
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 16, 2016
Lastly, Dreger adds that the next step in the process is for the league's executive committee to make a recommendation regarding expanding by one team or two. "Most (general managers) think one team," Dreger tweeted. "Vegas."