Lets Talk Expansion: A Quick Look At The 32nd NHL Franchise

It seems like just yesterday that Las Vegas was awarded its first NHL franchise, and here we are again. The Seattle based team was unanimously voted in as the NHL's 32nd, and most likely final franchise. While teams may be relocated over the next couple years it is highly unlikely that any new franchises will be berthed. The league will finally have an even number of teams in each division when the yet to be named Seattle team begins play in 2021-22. The team will be joining the Pacific division. This move will force the Arizona Coyotes to be moved into the Central division. While this decision obviously makes a ton of sense for Seattle, it will be much tougher on the Coyotes who will have one of, if not the toughest travel schedule in the league. This addition should also have a positive effect on the Vancouver Canucks, who will finally have a geographical rival. Those sorts of rivalries are great for the league. Just look at the drama the "Battle of Alberta" has supplied this year. The thought of more games like that should leave all NHL fans salivating. The thing that will leave most NHL owners salivating is the paychecks they'll be receiving from the Seattle ownership group.

Each team, except for the Vegas Golden Knights, will be receiving $21.67 Million as part of the expansion team costs. While Vegas may seem to be getting a raw deal it is worth noting that they will not have to participate in the expansion draft. The rules for which will be the same as they were for Vegas. If you don't remember here's a little breakdown for you: Seattle must select one player from each team. This will give them a total of 30 players, 14 forwards, nine defenceman, and three goalies. Teams will be allowed to either protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie, or eight forwards/defensemen, and one goalie. This system was first implemented during the Vegas expansion draft and caused quite a stir when Vegas had so much success. While there was more talent to pick from than in previous drafts Vegas GM George McPhee did a phenomenal job with his selections. While the NHL clearly wants these teams to be more competitive early it is a stretch to believe Seattle will have the same immediate success. I think its also worth noting that teams will probably be less inclined to work with the yet to be named GM the way they did with McPhee. This may make it a bit harder for Seattle to build a team the way Vegas did.

Speaking of GMs I found an article written by John Shannon of TSN that highlighted ten individuals. For the sake of time I'm only gonna look at three of the candidates, that piqued my interest.

1. Kelly McCrimmon: Currently the Assistant GM of the Golden Knights. This seems like an obvious choice, he just went through the process with McPhee and had a ton of success. Kelly has an understanding of how the draft will go and how to build a team with middle tier players. The one downside is this is only his second season working in the NHL. Before the Vegas job, he was working in Major Juniors in Canada. That being said he's had huge success early on and could be looking to make a name for himself.

2. Dean Lombardi: Lombardi was the GM for both of the LA Kings Stanley Cup winning seasons. He's known as a guy that likes to build through the draft and doesn't rush to find success. His previous two stints as a GM first with the San Jose Sharks, and then with the Kings saw him get progression season by season. That progression led him to two Stanley Cups in 2011-12, and 13-14. The only problem here is that it usually takes Lombardi time to build his teams, and Seattle will want to have immediate success much the way Vegas did. If they are willing to wait though Lombardi could be a fantastic fit.

3. Steve Yzerman: This one is definitely a long shot. Steve Y just left his job with the Tampa Bay Lightning after building them into an absolute WAGON. Yzerman has become a top-tier GM after having a Hall of Fame playing career. When he left the Lightning it was heavily rumored that he would be taking over the Detroit Red Wings job. This seems like the logical step as Yzerman dominated the league with the Red Wings for his whole career. While the smart money is on him taking the Red Wings job sooner than later I would love to see what he could do with an expansion team. If he could turn Seattle into something similar to the Lightning his GM career could be a Hall of Fame one as well.

While all three of those guys seem like fantastic choices to me I am not the one tasked with hiring the personnel. That will be left up to Dave Tippett. Tippett is an ex-player and coach. Having spent time playing for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. He was also a head coach for both the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes. His role with the Seattle franchise, however, will not be as a coach or GM. He will hold a role as a senior advisor and executive in hockey operations. Tippett will be the one hiring the GM and head coach. He says he wants to have a GM hired by 2019, and says he's looking at coaches who are currently under contract. I would imagine that the hunt for a coach will only begin once a GM is hired and can be consulted about who and what they are looking for. The only big name I can think of right now would be Joel Quenneville who was recently let go by the Chicago Blackhawks. Coach Q is one of the best in the business, but may not even be available by the time they are hiring.

The team will be opening play in 2021-22 in what will be the newly renovated KeyArena which has been largely unused since the Seattle SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City. The newly renovated arena will seat 17,400 with 8,400 of those seats being in the lower bowl. That should make for an awesome home-ice advantage with so many people sitting close to the ice. The forthcoming renovations caused a bit of a problem for the ownership group. They wanted to begin play in 2020-21, but other owners and league officials were concerned that the renovations may not be done in time, and that a practice rink may not be finished by that time either. In the end, the more conservative start time is probably the right decision by the league and did not experience much pushback from the city or ownership group.

All in all, this is a fantastic move for what is and has been a hockey-starved part of the country. The northwest deserves this team, and especially the city of Seattle. They have shown with the Seahawks and Sounders that they are some of the most passionate fans around. Hockey games are going to be must-watch early on just for the fan involvement alone. Not only will this be beneficial for the fans in Seattle, but for fans of the NHL as well. The more widespread the game is the more passion there will be for it.

The last big question is this, what will they be called? That is still very much up in the air with tons of names being thrown around. Some of the more popular include, the Totems, the Metropolitans, and the Sockeyes. While those are viable, interesting, and relevant names my vote goes to the Kraken. That's a hockey name that hockey guys and gals can get behind. So until the official announcement, LETS GO KRAKENS!

P.S. If you're not sold on the Kraken just look up jersey and logo concepts. You'll thank me later.

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