Drive-By Body Pierce

@Curmudgeon  They can move up.  It’s the same rules as Vegas.  Same odds as the team finishing 3rd last and they are part of the lottery.  

Vegas picked right after the Canucks at 6th overall where they took Cody Glass.  They dropped 3 spots in the lottery.

The NHLPA was involved in defining the expansion rules.  Burrows was on that committee for Vancouver.  Players were concerned about profitability because of the escrow concern.  

If a new team comes in and can’t generate revenue for a while it cost the players through revenue sharing.  

Burrows revealed that the player side wanted to give 1st overall to Vegas for several years to jump start the team and ensure that they are not a financial drain.  He didn’t sound convinced that Vegas would work.

I stand corrected. Note that before that lottery Seattle was slotted into third, just behind Colorado and Vancouver, both of whom dropped to three spots teams with more points. So there is precedent for seeding the new guys third overall.