Expansion: “I really think there could be two teams”

Michaël Petit
Expansion: “I really think there could be two teams”
Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images

One of the topics everyone in the NHL is talking about these days is a future expansion.

Houston and Atlanta seem to be the two most likely cities for the NHL's next expansion.

The most recent expansions have been single-team expansions, but could a two-team expansion be a possibility?

Pierre McGuire was a guest on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro last night.

According to McGuire, we shouldn't rule out this possibility, and it would be a game-changer for all teams.

It's definitely a possibility, and teams will need to prepare more thoroughly so they aren't too badly affected by the expansions. First, two players from each team would leave.

For some better-equipped teams, like the Montreal Canadiens or other powerhouse teams, some very interesting players would become available.

My colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois recently discussed how the Habs need to prepare, because the list of available players could be very appealing to the new teams.

In the article, a tweet from David Ettedgui suggests a list of players who would be protected and another list of those who would be available.

Keep in mind that teams have two options for their protection lists. The first is to protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender. The other option is to protect eight skaters and one goaltender. Additionally, players with a no-move clause must be protected.

For a young player to be exempt from the expansion draft, he must have less than three seasons of professional experience.

A few criteria define a year of experience in this case. If a player is 20 years old as of December 31 of a given season and plays at least one game in the NHL, AHL, or ECHL, that counts as one year.

If a player is not yet 20 years old as of December 31, he must play at least 11 games. Alexander Zharovsky's case is a good example, because his birthday is on February 22, and if he plays this season, he'll need to play at least 11 games to be eligible—and this applies for three seasons.

As for Michael Hage, who is already 20, if he doesn't play for the Habs this year after finishing college, this season wouldn't count as a year of experience. Playoff games would count, unless the rules change by then.

In short, Kent Hughes will need to be prepared. Without a few trades leading up to a potential expansion, the Habs could lose a top prospect like David Reinbacher or Jacob Fowler


In a Nutshell

– To be continued.

– Read this.

– Indeed.

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