Report: NHL re-alignment plan leaked

The National Hockey League is holding its annual board of governors meetings in Sea Island, Georgia this week. Among those in attendance are league brass like commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly, executive vice president Colin Campbell and NHL owners like Jeremy Jacobs (chairman) of the Boston Bruins, Rocky Wirtz of the Chicago Blackhawks, Darryl Katz of the Edmonton Oilers, Larry Tanenbaum of the Toronto Maple Leafs and several other big wigs.

The main item on the agenda for the board, of course, is the expansion application from prospective Seattle ownership group Oak View Group. Headed up by former Leafs president Tim Leiweke, it’s expected the Oak View Group has done nothing but impress the NHL brass to date and it’s expected that tomorrow’s vote for a 32nd franchise will pass easily. The only question is… when will they play?

Well, according to NHL insider Darren Dreger, Seattle will hit the ice in 2021.

Check it out:

No one will confirm on record...that will happen tomorrow, but Seattle is expected to begin play in 2021.

So, we can assume that by 2021, Dreger means the 2021-22 NHL season. If that’s true, it could also indicate that the NHL is expecting yet ANOTHER work stoppage in 2020 when the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires. 

Once Seattle is officially approved as the NHL’s 32nd franchise, the league will then need to make a decision on how to re-align its divisions. Currently, each division has 8 teams, save for the Central Division. It’s expected then that one of the eastern most teams in the Pacific Division will shift over to the Central, with Seattle joining in the Pacific. 

According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshinsky, it’s all but certain that the team on the move will be the Arizona Coyotes.

NHL realignment is coming whenever the expansion franchise in Seattle arrives. While the plan won't be announced until Sunday at the Board of Governors meeting, there's significant indication that the Arizona Coyotes would be shifted to the Central...

My sense is that the Coyotes have known for a year that they would likely be the team moving to the Central Division once Seattle begins play but I’m not sure how thrilled Arizona is about it ... owner Andrew Barroway declined comment when I asked him after the BOG Day 1 meeting

Of course… this is all dependent on Arizona still being in the league come 2021. It’s no secret that the team has been in financial trouble for well over a decade and the whispers of a move to Houston grow louder and louder by the day.