My first instinct was ~60, but I checked with ZiPS projections and it gave 68 for Nashville and 76 for Portland. The projections in general seem a little high (i.e., it gives Freeland 3 wins, when even 2 is probably pushing it), so I'd say somewhere between 65 and 70.
I think the next real expansion draft will only allow 13 or 14 protections in the first round, which would make a big difference for the viability of the teams out of the gate. Leagues seem to have learned from the NHL that expansion teams being a contender early is a huge positive, and there's several teams where the 1 extra spot makes a real difference.
This is awesome. That Nashville team would be super fun to watch.
If you had to guess how many wins these teams would earn in their debut seasons, what would you estimate?
Kudos for the effort put into this.
Thanks! I enjoyed going through the process.
My first instinct was ~60, but I checked with ZiPS projections and it gave 68 for Nashville and 76 for Portland. The projections in general seem a little high (i.e., it gives Freeland 3 wins, when even 2 is probably pushing it), so I'd say somewhere between 65 and 70.
I think the next real expansion draft will only allow 13 or 14 protections in the first round, which would make a big difference for the viability of the teams out of the gate. Leagues seem to have learned from the NHL that expansion teams being a contender early is a huge positive, and there's several teams where the 1 extra spot makes a real difference.