Say what you will about Gary Bettman’s tenure as commissioner of the NHL. Lockout or not, the man has continually increased the value of the league as a whole and of each individual franchise. The New York Rangers are the most valuable franchise in the league at an estimated $1.5 billion according to Forbes.
While the league expands at a time when several current teams have uncertain futures, it sets up an even more diluted talent pool. There is a difference between parity and every team except for a few being mediocre. It’s the same misconception in the NFL, every team being around .