What an NHL Expansion Draft Could Mean for the Avalanche
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With a potential expansion team drawing nearer and nearer for Houston or Austin as the NHL considers adding a 33rd team in either Houston or Austin, Texas — the biggest question for fans of pre-existing teams to wonder is how this will impact the already-present 32 franchises.
Given the Dallas Stars being a part of the NHL's Central Division, another Texas team is basically a lock for the same division as well. The quickest thing that probably comes to mind for pre-existing teams — such as the Colorado Avalanche within the previously mentioned division — should be the Expansion Draft.
The good news is this is not a new concept; the NHL has previously executed successful and recent expansion drafts for both the Seattle Kraken in 2021 and the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017.
A Brief History of the Most Recent NHL Expansion Drafts
NHL.com detailed out the rules ahead of the Vegas Expansion Draft as the following:
Clubs would have two options for players they want to protect. First, they could opt for seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender. However, they could also instead choose eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender.
Any players who had current “No Movement” clauses at the time of the draft (and who would decline to waive such clauses) must be protected and would be counted towards their club’s applicable protection limits.
All first and second year League players — in addition to unsigned draft picks — will be exempt from selection and will not be counted towards protection limits.
Further details surrounding player exposure requirements and regulations relating to expansion franchise(s) can also be found in the original story on the Vegas Expansion Draft from the NHL.
In 2021, the Kraken would select one player each from 30 NHL teams. Teams could have protected seven forwards, three defenseman and a goalie, or the previously referenced eight skaters and a goalie if they felt the need to protect a fourth defenseman.
The Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs all opted for the second.
Trades are also present throughout expansion drafts, with general managers heavily trading assets and draft picks to Vegas in order to influence which unprotected player the Golden Knights would select or steer away from. In a vastly different turn of events, Seattle made no trades prior to submitting their Expansion Draft selections.
Unrestricted free agents also didn’t need to be protected; in 2021 the Avalanche’s captain Gabriel Landeskog was left exposed in the draft.
Joonas Donskoi would go from Colorado to the Kraken in Seattle’s Expansion Draft.
Star Avalanche players Cale Makar and Logan O’Connor were both protected in the most recent Expansion Draft, and fans can expect that to occur should a Houston/Austin Expansion Draft come to fruition.
When Will We Know More on Ongoing NHL Expansion Efforts?
Some sort of update on potential expansion efforts in Texas is expected to be provided by the NHL and the potential ownership group of The Friedkin Group — owned and operated by Chairman and CEO Dan Friedkin of the Friedkin family — in December.
Dec. will mark the initial end of the exploratory period of the Houston and Austin markets for the NHL and the potential ownership group.
The NHL’s Board of Governors next meets on Dec. 10-11 in Florida.
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Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.