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Last spring, sunshine and hockey made for a perfect combination. Canadian teams were shut out of the playoff picture, but the NHL's sunbelt expansion clubs were shining brightly. Both Floridian teams, all three Californian teams, the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars were invited to the dance. Yee-haw!

The Stars, in particular, surprised in 2015-16, winning the Western Conference with a 109-point season and a thrilling run-and-gun style. But the run slowed to a crawl this year, and the gun ran out of bullets. The Stars plummeted to 24th place overall thanks to a 30-point drop.

The Floridian teams will also be watching from the sidelines this year, as will the two-time Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. It'll be up to Nashville to represent the U.S. heartland, while the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks fight it out for bragging rights in California.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes remain in their never-ending state of flux, still looking for a new arena and a better business arrangement as the on-ice rebuild stalls for yet another season.

And while the Carolina Hurricanes made an impressive late push to try to squeeze into the playoffs, they continue to report the lowest average attendance in the league, according to ESPN, causing the Associated Press to report on relocation rumors (via USA Today).

These trends don't make for an especially welcoming environment for a brand-new sunbelt team, but it's happening anyway. The Vegas Golden Knights will be active in the player market this summer and will make their on-ice debut at T-Mobile Arena in October.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com. Contract information from CapFriendly.