Numerous sources revealed today that the NHL is preparing for a world where the Coyotes are no longer in Arizona. According to Elliotte Friedman, the move could come as early as next week. The Coyotes last game of the season will be on April 17th at home in Mullett arena.
Apparently, the NHL is preparing for this reality by creating two schedules for next season. One has the Coyotes still in Arizona while the other has them in Utah. As such, the league will have their basis covered next season, regardless of where the team is.
The rest of the owners around the league likely won't be too upset about this move as they are reportedly set to split a small relocation fee between them. According to Greg Wyshynski, the NHL is prepared to buy the Coyotes themselves for 1 billion dollars, then sell the team to Ryan Smith for 1.3 billion. The 300 million dollar difference would be split between the club owners, each getting a little under 10 million dollars in such a deal.