from Tal Pinchevsky at ESPN,

Amid reports that a 31st franchise will be awarded to Las Vegas as soon as the 2017-18 season, hockey fans across the globe are plotting their next Sin City weekend. The news wasn't quite as welcomed by NHL general managers, whose jobs got more difficult with an upcoming expansion draft. For Las Vegas' inaugural season, reports say teams must expose two forwards and one defenseman under contract who played at least 40 games the previous season or 70 total games in the previous two seasons. ...

Defense

The newest franchise should have a nice selection of veteran defensemen to choose from. The Vegas blue line -- and the entire expansion draft -- could hinge on what the Nashville Predators do with captain Shea Weber, who will carry a $12 million cap hit in 2017-18.

Brooks Orpik: With the Washington Capitals' core solidified, Orpik will be 36 in 2017 and already has plenty of miles on the odometer. In other words, he is the perfect veteran for an expansion team.

Tyler Myers: Assuming the Winnipeg Jets commit to the younger Jacob Trouba, Myers could be expendable, especially because his no-movement clause wasn't a factor when he was traded by the Buffalo Sabres....

much more