Thoughts on playing for an expansion team

[studentized 166]

Coming out of the VHLM this year, I thought I had a decent feel for what VHL teams might take a chance on me in the upcoming draft. This 2 team expansion definitely changes a lot. 

 

I think the league is probably better off having favourable expansion draft rules for the new teams. League parity makes everything more enjoyable, so I fully expect it to go this route. This means that top teams like Toronto, Helsinki, etc where I believed I had no chance of getting playing time/hoped not to be drafted by, might now find themselves having space for a player like me.

 

What it might also do is extend the rebuilds of the current bottom feeder VHL teams. With such short careers in the VHL, everyone wants to compete as soon as possible, so it wouldn't surprise me to see an existing rebuilding team end up with a much worse, more uncertain future.

 

As for the expansion teams themselves, it presents a very exciting possibility to be playing there, especially with who was picked to GM them. To be able to be a part of firsts (first goals, first wins, first cups, etc.) is something that every player wants. At the very least, this expansion draft helps players like me get a start in the VHL; the players that are going to be too high in TPE to stay in the VHLM, but would not high enough to start on most VHL teams in the 10 team format. 

 

If I could choose the team who drafts me at this moment, it would be an expansion team. But that is pretty much conditional on my feeling that they are going to be able to compete right away/in the second season. I'm excited to see how the league shapes up wherever I go.