TORONTO -- The NHL’s general managers got the clarity they were looking for. The major rules of the expansion draft have been well established.

It’s the nuances that were the topic of conversation.

The league made it clear that teams looking for loopholes during the free-agent period before the expansion draft could be hit with significant penalties if any rules are broken.

The NHL and NHLPA also finalized its list of players that will require automatic protection in the expansion draft because of a no-movement clause. According to colleague Pierre LeBrun, that list is around 65 to 70 players deep.

There are still concerns among the general managers, such as whether or not there will be tampering through Las Vegas, as GM George McPhee gets an early crack at free agents and their asking price. But when aren’t there concerns about tampering?

Now, armed with as much information as they’re going to get, GMs can truly finalize an expansion game plan between now and when their list is due on June 17.