The NHL has announced that they will put a hold on any waivers, trades or signings from June 17th at 2pm to June 22 at 7am (all times CDT). That would encompass the entire window that the Vegas Golden Knights have to select their expansion roster. Team’s protection lists must be submitted by 4pm on June 17th, while the team will be announced at the NHL Awards Ceremony on June 21st.
June 12th will be the final day for teams to ask players whether they will waive their no-movement clause for the draft, with decisions needing to come by 4pm on the 16th.
This window will put all eyes on the Vegas Golden Knights as they select the first expansion roster in nearly two decades. When the protection lists will be released to the public on the morning of the 18th, fans and media alike will begin to build their own team not knowing of any behind-the-scenes dealing that may already have happened.
The full release can be found below:
Monday, June 12 Deadline for Clubs to request that a Player “waive” his “No Move” clause for purposes of Expansion Draft (5 p.m. ET) (with the exception of Nashville and Pittsburgh, whose Deadline will be the later of: (i) 5 p.m. ET on June 12; or (ii) 5 p.m. ET on the day following the last day of the Stanley Cup Final).
Wednesday, June 14 Last possible day of 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
Thursday, June 15 First Buy-Out Period begins.
Deadline for Clubs to ask Players with “No Move” clauses whether they want to be placed on Waivers for purposes of Buy-Outs prior to Expansion Draft (11:59 am ET).
Friday, June 16 Last day to place Player on Waivers prior to Expansion Draft Trade/Waiver Freeze (12 p.m. ET).
Deadline for Players to agree to “waive” their “No Move” clauses for purposes of Expansion Draft (5 p.m. ET).
Saturday, June 17 Commencement of the Expansion Draft Trade/Waiver Freeze for all NHL Clubs with exception of the Expansion Club (3 p.m. ET).
Commencement of Expansion Draft Signing Moratorium on NHL SPCs for all NHL Clubs with exception of the Expansion Club (3 p.m. ET).
Deadline for each Club to simultaneously submit its Protection List to Central Registry and the NHLPA (5 p.m. ET).
Sunday, June 18 Deadline for Central Registry to approve and simultaneously distribute the Protection Lists to all NHL Clubs (including the Expansion Club) and the NHLPA (10 a.m. ET).
Opening of the UFA/RFA Interview Period (only applies to Players who are available for selection in the Expansion Draft) for the Expansion Club only (10 a.m. ET).Wednesday, June 21 Deadline for the Expansion Club to simultaneously submit its Expansion Draft Selections to Central Registry and the NHLPA (10 a.m. ET).
Deadline for the Expansion Club to submit SPCs for any pending UFA/RFAs who are selected by the Expansion Club and signed to a new contract (10 a.m. ET). The Expansion Club is permitted to sign a current or pending Free Agent on a Current Club’s list of Available Players during the period between 10:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 18, and 9:59 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 21, and in so doing will be deemed to have made its Expansion Draft selection from such Current Club. If the Expansion Club signs a Restricted Free Agent from the Available List of a Current Club during said period, the Current Club will not be entitled to any compensation from the Expansion Club.
Official distribution and announcement of the Expansion Club’s Selections in conjunction with the 2017 NHL Awards presented by T-Mobile (8 p.m. ET).
Thursday June, 22 Expansion Draft Signing Moratorium and Trade/Waiver Freeze are lifted (8 a.m. ET).
It seems like they’re making up these rules as they go.
Their shouldn’t be a freeze for Golden Knights.