We do not know if there were other options because the NHL did not explore any of them. Houston, QBC, moving Phoneix back to Glendale, who knows? It honestly does not matter whether or not SLC is a good or the best option, the fact they did not explore any other buyers after forcing AM to sell is the issue.
This whole situation is bizarre and highly atypical. As someone that worked in mergers and acquisitions for 12 years, including forced sale processes as a part of bankruptcy, I have never seen deals conducted like this where a seller is forced to sell to one party without exploring other potential options - it is always a broad sales process run by a reputable investment bank to prove objectively it was the best outcome for the seller. Its possible the NHL has great lawyers and they have iron clad legal agreements giving them the power to do whatever they want, but given the ineptitude I have seen I highly doubt it. I do think the option could be a key to getting it done legally, but if the NHL does sabotage that, then the legal situation gets very hairy.
Additionally, it is also not a good look for the NHL how it was done secretly with a friend of the chairman. If this went to a jury trial, a good attorney for AM could have a field day on this one depending on what comes up in discovery.