The NHL's 30 general managers met in Chicago on Thursday and left with some homework. They've got to chew on three rule change recommendations before reconvening at their next meeting in March and possibly voting on them.

• The first is the Larry Pleau idea that I first detailed last weekend, essentially changing the delayed penalty rule to the penalized team having to fully clear the puck from their defensive zone to get a stoppage in play, as opposed to simply having puck possession. The St. Louis Blues GM believes, and he's probably right, it would create more offensive chances with the sixth attacker on the ice for a bit longer before a whistle goes. I like this one.

• The second has to do with hand passes and making them more consistent all over the ice. Right now, players are allowed hand passes in the defensive zone, but nowhere else. The idea being discussed is to not allow it anymore in the defensive zone, just like the rest of the ice. Personally, I highly doubt this will happen. Blowing the whistle every time there's a hand pass in the defensive zone would simply create more stoppages in play. Not what we're looking for in the game right now.

• The third, and perhaps more interesting of all, is an idea from Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey. He proposes that players in the defensive zone have to have at least one skate on the ice when blocking shots. So, instead of having players collapse all over the ice an sliding all over the place, Gainey believes this would allow for more pucks to get through from the point and, hence, create more scoring chances. Great idea by Gainey, although it really puts the onus on the referees. ESPN