Talk of NHL expansion is gaining momentum across NHL circles. It's been discussed here on Heavy, and something that Toronto Maple Leafs fans need to pay close attention to.
Now, expansion in and of itself really isn't a big deal for the Maple Leafs. The next team to hit the ice will likely be in the Western Conference. But what should capture fans' attention is the NHL expansion draft.
And that's why Maple Leafs fans should be happy it's not happening in 2027. If it did, the Maple Leafs would risk losing Artur Akhtyamov because the organization would have no choice but to protect Sergei Bobrovsky.
The next NHL franchise will likely join the league ahead of the 2030-31 season. That's still a couple of years away. That's a good thing because if the expansion draft happened this year, it could lead to Toronto losing Akhtyamov.
A projection in The Athletic looked at the potential picks in the next NHL expansion draft. Some of the names really stand out like Ryan O'Reilly, Ryan McDonagh, Dougie Hamilton, and Filip Gustavsson.
But the name that Maple Leafs fans should be worried about is Akhtyamov.
There are two ways of looking at this situation. One, losing Akhtyamov is no biggie. The Leafs have a solid, if older, goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky. By the time his contract is up, the Leafs will have a replacement lined up.
That's precisely the issue. Akhtyamov figures to be Bobrovsky's replacement. That's why losing him would be a devastating blow to the organization.
The Leafs are so bullish on Akhtyamov that it led to trading two other netminders.
The Maple Leafs were in a bit of a squeeze this summer. They had two solid goalies in Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby. Neither one looked like a future Vezina Trophy winner. But they could have been good enough to keep the team afloat for some time.
Yet, Akhtyamov's emergence in the Calder Cup playoffs prompted John Chayka to cut bait with both Woll and Hildeby.
The reasoning was simple. The Leafs' crease was beginning to get crowded, and the only guy who didn't need waivers to clear was Akhtyamov. The Maple Leafs made a tough-love choice, turning their goalies into solutions for other areas.
That said, the trades were also a commitment to Akhtyamov as the goalie of the future. Losing him would be disastrous. But it's fortunate that the expansion draft won't be happening in 2027, because the Leafs can prevent losing Akhtyamov.
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If the NHL expansion draft happens in the summer of 2029 or even 2030, the Maple Leafs could avert losing Akhtyamov. As it stands, Toronto would have to protect Bobrovsky given his no-movement clause.
It just so happens that Bobrovsky will be a free agent in 2029, right around the time the NHL expansion draft will be set to happen.
In fact, the Leafs could wait until after the draft to re-sign Bobrovsky (gulp) in order to avoid the entire expansion draft drama.
Well, that's a bridge everyone will cross when they get to it. For now, fans had better keep expansion in the back of their minds, as that situation will factor into the moves the organization makes in the not-too-distant future.
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