Reporter Shares an Intriguing Expansion Report Involving Two Former NHL Cities

Expansion in the NHL has been a resounding success with the Vegas Golden Knights having been a perennial contender since inception and the Seattle Kraken qualifying for the post-season within their second year.

Therefore it shouldn't come as a surprise that the league has been mulling over the possibility of expanding further. Atlanta, Houston, and even Phoenix have been mulled about as future landing spots, and based on a recent report from Sportsnet's John Shannon, it could come to fruition over the next few years.

The prominent insider believes that Atlanta could make their return in 2028, whereas Houston or Phoenix could see their entry in 2030, especially if Phoenix can get a new arena in time.

Phoenix is an interesting storyline to follow based on their controversial nature. From bankruptcy, to the NHL having to take ownership, to arena issues that resulted in them playing their homes games in 5,000-seat Mullet Arena, there was a lot going on.

The NHL kept them in the league for as long as they could before passing the torch onto Utah. However, Bettman had been adamant that a return to Phoenix would be in the cards once they figured out their arena conundrum, which is seemingly close to being resolved.

As for Atlanta, this would be their third time in the NHL, after they were the Flames between 1972-80 and then the Thrashers between 1999-2011. They've been one of the more popular markets any time expansion had been brought up and it sure sounds like they'll be returning in no time.

Additionally, based on the report, that would then mean the NHL would be in line for a few more expansion drafts in the coming years. GMs should be used to the rules and what to expect with 2 already in their back pocket, however some teams will be in line to lose a lot more than others.

For the longest time the NHL had 30 teams and expansion seemed like a fruitless endeavour. However, after their recent successes and the league becoming a lot more profitable, we could see the NHL housing 34 teams by the end of the decade.