The expansion process is finally picking up steam in the wake of this week's NHL general managers meetings.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman revealed on Wednesday that if the league decides to expand for the 2017-18 season, an announcement will happen before the upcoming entry draft in June. That timetable will ensure that a new franchise has sufficient time to prepare for an expansion draft in the summer of 2017.
And if that happens, we can expect plenty of player movement ahead.
Little is official at this point, but this much we know: Each existing team will be allowed to protect one goalie, seven forwards, and three defensemen, or one goalie and eight skaters in total ahead of a draft.