There is no way NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would let Vanderbeek strip the team of future revenue because doing so would make it more difficult to sell the team in the future.
Walkinshaw pleaded unavoidable circumstances, saying the team had been given legal advice not to compete while negotiations were under way to sell the team.
If the NHL handles this with the goal of maximum profit in mind, they will move the team to the GTA, continue to own the team for the duration of its tenancy at ACC to recoup the losses from Phoenix, and then sell the team for a princely sum once the new building in Markham is ready.