The talk of NHL expansion has emerged once again. It seems that every few years, the league brings up the topic, potentially putting existing teams in a bind. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the next round of expansion could create a major concern for the organization.
The proposed site for the NHL’s 33rd or 34th team, depending on the optics, will be in the Western Conference. The two cities up for the new franchise are Houston and Austin, Texas. Regardless of which city gets the team, the franchise would likely land in the Central Division.
So, that’s just another opponent for the Maple Leafs, right?
Well, not so fast. There’s the matter of the expansion draft. Depending on how it plays out, it could leave Toronto in a pickle.
The 2017 expansion draft, the one that led to the Vegas Golden Knights joining the league, saw teams go with a 7-3-1 structure. In other words, teams could protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie.
In that draft, the Maple Leafs lost prospect Brendan Leipsic. The loss didn’t turn out to be a significant one. But it was the following expansion draft that saw the Leafs run into some trouble.
Maple Leafs Juggled Roster Specifically for 2021 Expansion Draft
In 2021, ahead of the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season, teams could follow the same 7-3-1 structure, or protect nine total players regardless of position.
The Maple Leafs went with the nine total protected players, with the Core Four being the forward group staying put. However, the fear of losing a key supporting member led then-GM Kyle Dubas to trade for Jared McCann from the Pittsburgh Penguins, specifically for the purpose of exposing him.
The Kraken took him, and that was that.
Given the potential for another expansion draft, the Maple Leafs may need to do some more roster juggling to ensure they don’t lose a key player.
But that may be easier said than done next time around.
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Toronto Won’t Have to Worry about Expansion Draft Just Yet
For all the hubbub regarding the upcoming expansion draft, it’s not something NHL teams will have to worry about anytime soon.
If the NHL’s timeline goes according to plan, fans could be seeing the league’s newest team around 2030.
That timeline gives the Maple Leafs, as well as every other team in the NHL, about three seasons to figure out where they’ll be by then.
The plan is to have the new team enter the league around the 2030-31 season. If that’s the case, the next expansion draft could happen in 2029 or 2030. That timeline may seem like a long time away, but it will be here faster than most fans anticipate.
Ultimately, teams will have plenty of time to position themselves for the next expansion draft. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see some teams make moves specifically to protect themselves. That’s why it will be interesting to see how the next round of expansion affects moves in the coming season or two.
Maple Leafs Might Have Major Concern Regarding NHL Expansion