While all information we have regarding the 2017 NHL expansion draft is unconfirmed, and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has already sounded off about the abundance of misinformation being spread, several hockey insiders have posted similar details.
Of course these details could change once the Board of Governors vote on whether or not to expand to Las Vegas June 22, but it certainly looks like expansion will hit some teams harder than others.
James Mirtle reported the protection rules:
Teams will have a choice between protecting seven forwards, three defencemen and one goaltender (11 players) or eight skaters and one goaltender (nine players). The second option allows for teams to protect four defencemen but forces them to expose three more forwards in order to do so.
With these rules in mind and a handy Expansion Draft tool created by General Fanager, we are now able to determine which teams have work to do this offseason, should they not want to lose valuable players for nothing.
The difficulty in protecting defensemen is a common theme, as is having too many no-movement clauses tying an organization’s hands.
Let’s take a look at teams that could be facing trouble in the Expansion Draft.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks must protect Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Cory Perry, and Kevin Bieksa due to their no-movement clauses.
8 February 2016: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (47) skates the puck up the ice on the breakout during the first period. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)
This gives them the option of protecting all four of their young, talented defensemen in Cam Fowler, Simon Despres, Sami Vatanen, and Hampus Lindholm and leaving Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell unprotected, or leaving a pair of the aforementioned defensemen available and protecting Silfverberg, Rakell, and additional forwards.
The Ducks will likely choose to protect Rakell, leaving the team likely to lose whichever one of their talented defensemen is left unprotected.
Anaheim could trade one of the defenders this offseason, but that would weaken the team in a time when they wish to be competitive. It is a lose-lose situation for the Ducks.
Chicago Blackhawks
Trevor van Riemsdyk appears headed for Las Vegas unless the Blackhawks make some moves this offseason. The Blackhawks already have Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Nicklas Hjalmarasson automatically protected by their no-movement clauses.
This leaves the Blackhawks with the choice of protecting both Marcus Kruger and Andrew Shaw, or only Trevor van Riemsdyk, assuming the obvious protection of Artem Anisimov, who found success alongside Kane this season.
Considering the Blackhawks recently traded away Teuvo Teravainen to leave salary space for Shaw, and just signed Kruger to a big contract, odds are the Blackhawks will want to protect both of them.
It can be done via the 7-3-1 plan, but van Riemsdyk will be left unprotected, and the Blackhawks will likely see a young defenseman leave their organization.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Not only are the Blue Jackets among the worst teams in the NHL, but they also appear destined to be struck the hardest by the Expansion Draft.
Columbus must protect Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, David Clarkson, Scott Hartnell, and Fedor Tyutin. Out of those players, Columbus would like to protect perhaps only Dubinsky or Foligno.
Feb 25, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard (58) controls the puck during the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Nationwide Arena.(Photo Credit: Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)
The rules are the rules however, and because of that Columbus will lose either David Savard or a young forward in the draft.
Columbus will certainly protect Brandon Saad and Boone Jenner, ensuring that one defenseman out of Ryan Murray, Seth Jones, and David Savard must be left unprotected. Considering Murray and Jones were top 5 draft picks and Savard is merely a talented defenseman, the choice is clear.
At the forward position, the Blue Jackets will be able to protect one of Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg, or William Karlsson.
And that’s not to mention that Sergei Bobrovsky has a no-movement clause, too, meaning Joonas Korpisalo, their incumbent backup goalie, will be exposed for sure.
Columbus will almost certainly lose a valuable player, unless they make a move or two this offseason to prevent themselves from having to protect players whose best days are behind them.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild will almost certainly lose a valuable player in the Expansion Draft as it stands now. Minnesota must protect Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville, and Ryan Suter.
This leaves the Wild with two options: protecting their defensive corps of Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, and Matt Dumba, or protecting their forward corps of Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Erik Haula, and Jason Zucker.
If Minnesota opts for defense, they can afford to leave Scandella unprotected, leaving the team with the option of protecting one of Coyle, Granlund, Niederrieter, Haula, or Zucker.
Las Vegas would love this, as they would simply choose the player they like the most out of the players remaining. Should Minnesota choose to instead protect the forwards listed above, the Wild would still need to leave one of them unprotected, as well as leaving two of the defensemen unprotected.
In any scenario, Las Vegas will be able to choose between stealing a top young defenseman or a top young forward away from the Wild.
The post NHL expansion spells trouble for these four teams appeared first on Todays SlapShot.