The Arizona Coyotes have dominated the hockey news cycle as their move to Salt Lake City is all but certain. It’s a move that feels like it’s been happening in slow motion for years, but also something that none of us even had on our radar at this time last week.

With the Coyotes’ relocation, there has been a popular rumor that, as part of the sale of the team from Alex Meruelo to the NHL, and then from the NHL to Ryan Smith of Utah, that Meruelo will be given the ability to “reactivate” the Coyotes franchise.

Essentially, the NHL would give Meruelo benchmark requirements, such as having an actual building in Arizona to play in, and should he complete the work he needs to, Meruelo would have first right to a new expansion team in Arizona, one that may bare a striking resemblance to today’s Coyotes.

That idea, should it come to fruition, opens the door for expansion talks in various other markets as well. Arizona/Phoenix would become the 33rd team in the NHL, and unless the league adopted the policies of Expansion Mode on the NHL video games, they will not allow the awkward number of 33 teams to persist any longer than it has to.

And make no mistake, Arizona will be a top choice for expansion, even if no prior agreement is made with Meruelo.

As soon as the Coyotes depart Arizona, the number one location for expansion becomes Arizona. The Phoenix market and its surrounding metro area is one of the largest markets in the United States. It’s a market that the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman have desperately tried to make work ever since the Coyotes arrived there from Winnipeg in 1996.

The Phoenix metropolitan area ranks 10th in the United States. It’s a market too big to ignore, and if Meruelo gets provisions on a future team, it will be impossible to ignore.

With stable ownership and a proper arena to play in, hockey can work in the desert. You know what can’t? An odd amount of teams.

So, it begs the question: how many teams is too many teams for the National Hockey League?

No major professional league in North America has gone past 32 teams. The National Football league once sat atop the mountain, being the only league to be past 30 teams. The NHL surpassed the 30-team plateau when the Vegas Golden Knights began play in 2017. Four years later, the NHL joined the NFL at 32 when the Seattle Kraken made their debut.

The time in between Vegas and Seattle is important to keep in mind when considering future expansion. Though the difference between when both teams began play is four years, the time in which each team was approved by is even quicker.

Vegas was officially approved on June 22nd, 2016, and Seattle received approval on December 4th, 2018. That’s only a year and a half apart.

If Arizona/Phoenix is indeed the 33rd team, one would have to imagine that the NHL goes for a 34th team relatively quickly.

Does that mean Atlanta gets another crack at the NHL?