Sleepless for Seattle? Fenton, Wild begin prep for NHL's 32nd team

ST. PAUL -- For Wild General Manager Paul Fenton, the planning for expansion begins right now.
The NHL announced last week that Seattle would join the League as its 32nd franchise, beginning in time for the 2021-22 season. And while the Expansion Draft is still some 2 1/2 years away, the official announcement of a new team will have Fenton and his staff working overtime to begin preparation for the event.
Much will change with the Wild between now and then -- it always does when a new GM comes to town -- but that won't stop Fenton from looking at aspects of the process that could affect the club when that time comes.

"In the past, when I've been involved in preparing for this, it comes up with every thought process that you have," Fenton told Wild.com. "It's just the nature of our business. It's one more rule or planning segment that you do and you look at and prepare for.
"Our job now is to see what we will be best prepared to do."
As assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators, Fenton was integral in planning for the last Expansion Draft in 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights prepared to join the League.

The rules for this draft will be the same, so GMs around the NHL are familiar with the challenges that will pop up. Everything from contract-extension language, to salary cap hit, to how payments are structured and how movement and trade clauses are handed out will help shape what happens in 2021.
While most of the NHL, including the Wild, chose to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, the Predators went outside the box and protected eight skaters and a goalie.
"It wasn't difficult] with Nashville with the four elite defensemen that we had," Fenton said. "It just made sense. You know you're going to lose a very good player as a forward, but at the end of the day, you take your medicine and you protect what think is the strength of your organization."
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How the organization looks three years from now is anyone's guess.
Of its current NHL roster, the Wild has just five players who will be under contract for the 21-22 campaign; forwards Zach Parise, Jason Zucker and Nino Niederreiter and defensemen Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba.
Everyone else will have his contract run out before then. It's safe to say the Wild will re-sign at least a handful of those players, but trades and departures could dramatically change the look and feel of the roster.
There will also be additions and subtractions from Iowa. Other prospects not currently in the NHL will join the fray.

One thing is certain: Whatever path Fenton and his staff may be thinking now will change over and over between now and the summer of 2021.
"I wish we were only going to talk about this a dozen times between now and a couple years from now," Fenton said. "But unfortunately, it becomes a part of your everyday conversation. We are beginning to look at it now, but I can guarantee you this; the changes you have with teams, with the players that come in and that you draft will change dramatically between now and then."
Whatever happens around the League -- and in Minnesota -- Fenton was certain of one thing.
"It's good for hockey. I can't say enough about what Vegas did; to me, it's great for hockey," Fenton said. "I didn't want the ugly stepchild coming in and being a low type of team; it was great, it was great for hockey, it sold it. Now ... we'll see what Seattle can do."