NHL expansion at this point seems to be a guarantee, and according to <a href='https://puckpedia.com/agent/allan-walsh' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Allan Walsh</a>, the league is already eyeing up their next two markets. The NHL has seen some massive movement in cities this off-season, with Salt Lake City officially becoming the 32nd team in the NHL after the relocation of the struggling Arizona Coyotes. Before <a href='https://www.nhl.com/utah/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the Utah Hockey Club</a> even play a game, the talk of NHL expansion has begun again, with agent Allan Walsh confirming that it's simply a matter of when, not if we see a 33rd and 34th team join the league. <q>«It's not a question of 'If?', it's a question of 'When?' for the next NHL expansion process, and we will reach 34 teams. I predict that the price to pay for each of the two new franchises will be $1.5 billion for the franchise purchase, more than double what Seattle had to pay in 2021.» - Allan Walsh</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/walsha/status/1831174655522267378'> </a></blockquote></div> While fans north of the border are holding out hope for the return of <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Nordiques' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the Quebec Nordiques</a>, Walsh's prediction won't make them too happy, with the revelation that at this point, Atlanta and Houston are the front runners. This comes despite not one but two failures in Atlanta, but with the city on the rise and significant backing for the ownership group, it's no surprise that the <a href='https://www.markerzone.com/hockey/stats/nhl/index.php' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>NHL</a> is giving it another try. Ultimately, there is likely going to be 34 teams in the league by 2030, and whether that's right or wrong, it's hard to ignore the money that expansion brings, so don't be shocked if the 33rd team is announced in the next 12 months. Source: Habs Fanatics <a href='https://www.habsfanatics.com/nhl/news/two-cities-emerge-as-possible-expansion-frontrunners-for-gary-bettman-and-the-nhl-according-to-allan-walsh' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Two cities emerge as possible expansion frontrunners for Gary Bettman and the NHL according to Allan Walsh</a>