On March 19-21, all the NHL GMs will meet in Florida to discuss the hottest topics around the NHL.  The idea behind these meetings is to address several hot topics around the NHL in order to improve the current state of the game.

These meetings coming up will not be short of hot topics, as goaltender interference will likely be the hottest topic on the lengthy agenda.  With goaltender interference likely tops on the agenda, what other things will NHL GMs discuss while they meet in Florida?  What can fans expect to hear after the meetings conclude?

Let’s dive in to what will likely be discussed among GMs in Florida:

GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE

It has been one of the most controversial topics for a long time.  The replays are becoming more and more confusing.  Players, coaches, and GMs are becoming increasingly frustrated with the current setup.

What could come to this is a complete changing of the rule.  What could also come of this is a complete change in instant replay.  Instead of on-ice officials making the calls for goaltender interference, the war room in Toronto might take charge of making these calls.

Whatever comes of it, players, coaches, and GMs want clarity and consistency.  While it is unlikely things will not change before the playoffs, it is likely that people in the hockey community will lobby for changes before playoffs.  The process will carry into the summer, as it will likely involve multiple changes to the current rules.

SEATTLE EXPANSION AND THE EXPANSION DRAFT

With a successful ticket drive in the books, Seattle earning a NHL franchise looks very promising.  A formal bid has been submitted to the NHL, so the time is ticking on the NHL’s part.

While the NHL’s Board of Governors will likely vote on expansion in June, the NHL GM meetings will likely recap the season ticket drive, and will likely talk about the renovations to Key Arena.

In addition to the Key Arena logistics and refurbishment, the expansion draft will likely be a topic of discussion with the arrival of Seattle’s new franchise.  With Vegas having so much success right off the bat in its inaugural season, it will be interesting to see if there are any tweaks to the expansion process.

OUTDOOR GAMES

The NHL’s biggest events of the year involve their signature Winter Classic and Stadium series games.

With the Stadium Series game recently held at the Naval Academy, it is likely that the NHL could explore new venues to host the outdoor games.  It is even possible that they could host the outdoor game at other military-based venues.  The outdoor hockey spectacles provide great tradition, and all them have given hockey fans a different theme.  Perhaps the NHL GMs could even kick the tires on more neutral sites as hosts to the outdoor game.

SALARY CAP

While the salary cap number likely will not be revealed until a later date, the speculation and rumors have already begun about the salary cap for next year.  It is expected that the salary cap for next year is expected to max out at $79-80 million.  The salary cap for 2017-18 is set at $75 million.  With a $4-5 million increase in the salary cap number, that will assist teams that are tight against the salary cap right now.

By: George Foussekis