There's another fascinating subplot emerging from the NHL's expansion draft process.

George McPhee and the Las Vegas brain trust will have a 48-hour window - between the time protected rosters are submitted and the expansion draft itself - to negotiate with free agents of both unrestricted and restricted status, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday on Insider Trading.

This means any player who's without a contract when protected rosters are submitted - regardless of whether the club still technically has control of the asset - can bolt to Las Vegas on a new negotiated contract.

Should Las Vegas strike a deal with an unprotected free agent, the team he came from will not lose a player during the actual expansion draft, per LeBrun.

It's clearly another important factor for NHL general managers to consider when formulating their protected rosters, as teams could be forced into making quick decisions on free agents - or risk losing them for nothing.

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