from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

Here are 10 questions to ponder ahead of the NHL’s centennial season:

Is goaltending the only position in which teams will be maneuvering ahead of June’s expansion draft?

It sure seems that way. With three months to digest the expansion draft rules, just about every team has narrowed down their one player most likely to be plucked. In fact, new Las Vegas GM George McPhee and his staff conducted their first dry run expansion draft this past weekend in Las Vegas. The truth is that outside of goaltending, the only ‘big name’ players likely to be left exposed in June will be the ones connected to considerable salary cap baggage. The only real intrigue remaining is in net. Pittsburgh will want to protect Cup winner Matt Murray; can they find a way to convince Marc-Andre Fleury to waive his no-movement clause? Will the Lightning find a new home for pending UFA Ben Bishop? Teams can only protect one goaltender. Jonathan Bernier, Steve Mason and Michael Neuwirth are potential free agents. Cam Ward, Jonathan Bernier and even Michael Hutchinson could be susceptible to claim. And could you imagine Roberto Luongo in Las Vegas?

Will the mandatory five-day break in schedule provide a natural springboard to NHL regular season games in Europe in the future?

For the first time, every NHL team will enjoy five consecutive days of rest in either January or February. That in-season break, which was collectively bargained in exchange for World Cup participation, has created a somewhat condensed regular season slate. And for new business starving for hockey-related revenue growth, this unique schedule wrinkle might provide the perfect avenue for regular season games in Europe. The necessary recuperation period is one of the biggest challenges for staging games in Europe. The NFL currently schedules teams participating in their London series for a bye week immediately following their trip. It might not happen in 2017-18, not if NHL players are skating in Pyeongchang, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

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