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Expansion

Seattle Kraken Ink Jamie Oleksiak To Five-Year Deal

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Seattle Kraken have made waves ahead of the Expansion Draft’s start, signing pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to a five-year deal. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the contract carries an average annual value of $4.6MM while CapFriendly adds that the breakdown is as follows:

2021-22: $3.5MM, full no-trade clause
2022-23: $4.25MM, full no-trade clause
2023-24: $6MM, full no-trade clause
2024-25: $5.5MM 16-team no-trade clause
2025-26: $3.75MM 16-team no-trade clause

Oleksiak had a coming-out party in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, playing a crucial role on Dallas’ second pairing with Miro Heiskanen on the Stars’ run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Oleksiak’s strong play continued into 2020-21, earning him this big payday.

Averaging over 20 minutes a night last season, Oleksiak’s defensive results improved with his ice time. Cementing himself as a true top-four body, it’s entirely possible that Oleksiak finds himself on a pairing with another new Kraken addition in Adam Larsson. It could end up being one of the better shutdown pairings in the entire league, albeit an expensive one with a combined $8.6MM cap hit between the two. Oleksiak scored 14 points in 56 games last season, so his offensive upside is limited, but he still might provide 25-point potential.

For the Stars, they lose a big minute-munching body. Finding a new partner for Miro Heiskanen will likely come down to securing a new name on the open market. While no-one left on the market will have the size and physical appeal of Oleksiak, there are other acceptable options through free agency.

All salary cap information via CapFriendly.com.

Seattle Kraken Will Not Select Carey Price

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The Seattle Kraken will not select Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price at tonight’s expansion draft, according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that the Canadiens are likely to lose young defenseman Cale Fleury.

Price, 33, waived his no-movement clause and was left unprotected by the Canadiens in order for the team to retain backup Jake Allen. He was an intriguing option, and many reports indicated that the Kraken did full due diligence on the veteran netminder before eventually deciding not to take him. With Price, there are just too many question marks and risks for an expansion franchise. Not only does he carry a $10.5MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season, but he’s owed an $11MM signing bonus for this season and could need major surgery in the coming weeks.

It’s not even just the cost an injury issues though, as Price has also been an inconsistent performer the last several seasons. With .909 and .901 save percentages the last two seasons, there’s no guarantee he can even help the Kraken to a playoff spot in their first year, an obvious target given some of the players that have already been linked to the team. Price has performed exceptionally well in the postseason once Montreal got there, but there is just too much risk involved in taking on that big of a contract when other goaltenders are available.

In Fleury, the Kraken would receive a 22-year-old defenseman who was once seen as a top prospect in the Montreal organization. He played 41 games with the team during the 2019-20 season, but hasn’t returned to the NHL since. In 22 games for the Laval Rocket, he recorded six points this season. That’s not to say his place as a future NHL defender is gone, but he’ll have to show improvements in Seattle to crack the lineup for 2021-22. No longer waiver-exempt, he’ll either have to make the roster or be available for the rest of the league at the end of training camp.

PHR Mock Expansion Draft: Seattle Kraken

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The protection lists are in and the Seattle Kraken are now on the clock. Tomorrow night the 32nd NHL team will select their expansion roster from around the league, taking one player from 30 teams. The Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the process, but will also not receive part of the heft expansion fee.

Seattle must select at least 20 players who are under contract for the 2021-22 season. They must also select a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. The contracts of the selected players must fall between 60% ($48.9MM) and 100% ($81.5MM) of the 2020-21 salary cap. The full rules for the selection process can be found here.

The last time we had an expansion draft, the PHR team came together and developed a consensus roster. Though several of those choices turned out to be correct, the vast number of side-deals kept several top names out of Vegas. This year, we’ve done something a little bit different. Brian La Rose, Zach Leach, Josh Erickson, and I have each submitted a roster, along with a bit of explanation of our process. In these lists, we don’t take into account any potential expansion-day trades but do consider future transactions. As always, we welcome your thoughts and critiques in the comment section below.

Brian La Rose

Forwards (17):

Adam Gaudette (CHI)
J.T. Compher (COL)
Max Domi (CBJ)
Adam Mascherin (DAL)
Tyler Benson (EDM)
Calle Jarnkrok (NSH)
Andreas Johnsson (NJD)
Josh Bailey (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Chris Tierney (OTT)
Jakub Voracek (PHI)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Ondrej Palat (TBL)
Alexander Kerfoot (TOR)
Kole Lind (VAN)
Mason Appleton (WPG)

Defense (10):

Josh Mahura (ANA)
Jeremy Lauzon (BOS)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Troy Stecher (DET)
Kale Clague (LAK)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Justin Schultz (WSH)

Goaltenders (3):

Josef Korenar (ARI)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

Value and flexibility were the two elements I valued on my Seattle roster. It’s a team that will be well below the Upper Limit once everyone is signed with several veterans who were selected with the intention of flipping them either before the draft this week or by the trade deadline for picks and prospects to build up their asset base. If they’re moved by the draft, that frees up the ability to take on a bad contract or two like Arizona just did with Andrew Ladd, adding more long-term pieces to the puzzle in the process. Others like Chris Tierney and Justin Schultz are pieces that would benefit from a big role and improved numbers, building up their value for the trade deadline.

In goal, Chris Driedger (assuming he signs) with Kaapo Kahkonen gives them a controllable and cost-friendly tandem for a few years. I don’t see the point of paying big money for a veteran at this stage as I’m eyeing a longer-term buildup. Josef Korenar is waiver-exempt and as much as there are better waiver-exempt third goalies available, someone had to be picked from Arizona.

There are two distinct classes on the back end. The expiring contracts are the trade bait but it’s by design that there are six players under the age of 25. Vince Dunn is an established piece and I think some patience and good development could yield three more regular NHL blueliners out of the more unproven players with an opportunity for a regular role. Again, they’re all controllable through restricted free agency, giving them either some cost-effective players or interesting trade pieces a year or two down the road.

Up front, most of the players chosen that are signed beyond 2021-22 were picked with an eye on rehabilitating value. Whether it’s a change of scenery or a chance to play a bigger role, the hope is that some of them will become trade assets next summer. Veterans like Jakub Voracek, Jason Zucker, and Josh Bailey, meanwhile, serve as capable pieces to keep the team competitive most nights. I’d take the gamble on an injured Max Domi to see if he’s someone that’s worth keeping around longer-term. If not, he’s someone who ideally would be flippable at the deadline as well. Again, there are some prospects on there with minimal NHL time by design. The hope is that a couple will realistically pan out into serviceable pieces.

I’m not looking to make the playoffs right away if I’m GM Ron Francis. I’m thinking a slower build that gives them a promising stable of assets is the better way to go and this roster was selected with that in mind. There are some players who could be around for a while, others who can be moved for picks and prospects, and the cap flexibility to quickly pivot if something changes quickly.

Zach Leach

Forwards (15):

Adam Gaudette (CHI)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Vladislav Namestnikov (DET)
Cooper Marody (EDM)
Carl Grundstrom (LAK)
Ryan Johansen (NSH)
Kieffer Bellows (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Vitaly Abramov (OTT)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Jonah Gadjovich (VAN)

Defense (11):

Haydn Fleury (ANA)
Jeremy Lauzon (BOS)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Dean Kukan (CBJ)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
P.K. Subban (NJD)
Justin Braun (PHI)
Brenden Dillon (WSH)
Dylan DeMelo (WPG)

Goaltenders (4):

Josef Korenar (ARI)
Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis took a slow, methodical approach to team-building when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes. He very well may do so again in Seattle, but he also knows how important it is for an expansion team to be exciting from the get-go in a new market. Francis can accomplish both by taking advantage of some of the big names available to him on short-term contracts, such as Subban, Tarasenko, and Zucker. Those are names that make the Kraken dangerous right away, but will also result in nice trade returns down the road if Seattle isn’t competing for a playoff spot.

However, the team stands a good chance with supporting players like Gourde, Donskoi, McCann, Namestnikov, Dillon, DeMelo, and more. I tried to balance my picks between stars on short-term deals, affordable long-term deals, high-upside young players to build around, and veteran trade bait like Bishop, Giordano, and Braun, while also selecting some players with ties to Francis or to the Pacific Northwest. I also attempted to give the team some roster flexibility with 30 picks required, taking Abramov (playing in the KHL this year) and goalies Kahkonen and Korenar (both waiver-exempt). The one pick that likely needs the most explaining is Johansen – I simply believe that Nashville has a side deal with Seattle that involves one of their two $8MM centers. I think Johansen can return to form with a change of scenery and wingers like Tarasenko and Zucker wouldn’t hurt.

Josh Erickson

Forwards (15):

Alexander Volkov (ANA)
Nino Niederreiter (CAR)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
Tyler Benson (EDM)
Matt Duchene (NSH)
Nicholas Merkley (NJD)
Jordan Eberle (NYI)
Colin Blackwell (NYR)
Evgenii Dadonov (OTT)
Ryan Donato (SJS)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Conor Sheary (WSH)
Mason Appleton (WPG)

Defense (11):

Cam Dineen (ARI)
Colin Miller (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Anton Lindholm (CHI)
Troy Stecher (DET)
Kale Clague (LAK)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI)
Marcus Pettersson (PIT)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Guillaume Brisebois (VAN)

Goaltenders (4):

Callum Booth (BOS)
Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

It’s a team with more scoring punch than most expected weeks ago, mostly due to some unexpected exposures (Niederreiter, Dadonov, McCann etc.). There are still some notable omissions here – namely Stenlund over Max Domi from Columbus and Volkov over Adam Henrique for Anaheim. While those would certainly be the better player to select, you just can’t take too many big-money players in this environment. The higher cap hits of Duchene, Eberle, Niederreiter, and Gourde were more palatable. There’s also a bit of a controversial decision in Philadelphia, selecting Gostisbehere over either James van Riemsdyk or Jakub Voracek. He’s younger, cheaper, and on less term than both of the two, and should be poised for a bounce-back, especially under the coach in which he first succeeded. Opted for Kulak over Price for a similar reason – astronomical cap hit and injury concerns made Dallas’ Bishop a more appealing option.

Kahkonen is still waiver-eligible, meaning that Seattle could use him as the third goalie reliably if Bishop is healthy. They wouldn’t risk losing him on waivers. There aren’t really any additional cap dumps or trades needing to be made after this draft, and this team could easily finish at the top of the division and conference in Year 1.

Gavin Lee

Forwards (17):

Michael Bunting (ARI)
Nick Ritchie (BOS)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
Evgeny Svechnikov (DET)
Jujhar Khaira (EDM)
Andreas Athanasiou (LAK)
Calle Jarnkrok (NSH)
Nicholas Merkley (NJD)
Jordan Eberle (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Chris Tierney (OTT)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Jake Virtanen (VAN)

Defense (9):

Haydn Fleury (ANA)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Calvin de Haan (CHI)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Robert Hagg (PHI)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Dylan DeMelo (WPG)

Goaltenders (4):

Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)
Vitek Vanecek (WSH)

I’ve gone with a bit of a different approach than some. I want to be a relatively competitive team right away, to give the market something to cheer for in year one, but I also was careful not to commit to any real long-term contracts. The four years remaining on Gourde’s deal is the only contract on the books through 2024-25, and he was only the choice because the center depth is so weak across the league. The key here is flexibility for GM Ron Francis and head coach Dave Hakstol. At least eight of the forwards selected have experience in the middle at the NHL level, meaning you could even sell some off when the annual race for a third-line pivot comes to pass at the deadline. Bunting’s inclusion is more about Arizona’s available players than the 25-year-old unrestricted free agent’s future. Even if a deal can’t be done, they’ll have a few days to trade his rights to interested parties.

Like Brian and Josh, I passed over the idea of Tarasenko, even though it looks like the Kraken may be interested in selecting and flipping the Russian winger. The same goes for another high-priced talent like Voracek in Philadelphia. Just don’t think it’s worth the opportunity cost of bringing in those contracts. Seattle’s cap flexibility is the greatest weapon they have right now.

In net though, I couldn’t pass up the chance to get Bishop. Sure, he might not be the same or even play due to his injury history, but there isn’t much else available in Dallas. Unless they can get a deal done with a UFA like Jamie Oleksiak or Sami Vatanen, why not take the chance on a goaltender who has one of the best save percentages in history. Even if Bishop doesn’t play, Driedger and Vanecek are good enough to hold the fort for an expansion team, while Kahkonen is still waiver-exempt and can be stashed in the minor leagues.

All four teams we’ve selected likely have a chance to do well in 2021-22, though obviously, the Kraken could start selling off assets immediately and build for a better future down the road.

Poll: Where Will Carey Price Play In 2021-22?

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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has had one of the most unique and hectic months for an individual player in recent memory.

After guiding the Canadiens to one of the more unexpected Stanley Cup Final appearances in recent memory, many justifiably assumed that Price’s future in Montreal was as secure as ever. It quickly turned out to be that wasn’t the case.

Price waived his no-movement clause for the purposes of the Seattle Expansion Draft and was left exposed when the protection lists were announced Sunday morning, an absolutely shocking move. Many assumed that Montreal had a side deal in place so that they could retain both Price and Jake Allen, but it soon became apparent that it wasn’t the path general manager Marc Bergevin had chosen.

Then came the injury news. Later yesterday, there were multiple reports of varying injuries that Price may miss significant time for. Reports from both Frank Seravalli and Pierre LeBrun stated that Price is dealing with problems in his hip and knee and will see a specialist this week. But with Seattle taking a long and hard look at Price’s current medical records, the injuries may not be enough to sway the Kraken away from taking Price.

However, it can’t be ignored that Price is coming off a pair of subpar regular seasons and is still under contract for five more seasons with a $10.5MM cap hit. It’s a hefty pill to swallow for the Kraken if Price can’t return to elite form, something that unfortunately seems like a possibility.

So, PHR readers, we ask you – where do you think Carey Price will play this season? Will Seattle salivate over the opportunity to pick up a potential elite franchise goalie? Or will his age and health concerns let him pass through unselected? Vote below:

[Mobile users, click here to vote]

Poll: What’s The Biggest Protection List Surprise?

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The past 48 hours across the NHL have been nothing short of chaos. With protection lists for all 30 teams due at 3:00 PM ET yesterday, along with the ensuing transaction freeze, a flurry of movement at the deadline drastically changed how many teams were to approach the expansion draft. Projected Seattle picks such as Jason Dickinson and Adin Hill were dealt, along with bigger names like Ryan Ellis and Jared McCann.

That frenzy didn’t stop yesterday, however. With the protection lists not being made available to the public until this morning, nobody was quite sure what their team was going to do. All those questions were answered this morning, some of those answers having potentially seismic implications.

There were many surprise omissions from teams’ protection lists, but let’s start with the elephant in the room. After being first reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun last night, Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price waived his no-movement clause and was not protected by the team. It’s an incredible turn of events after the netminder guided the team to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 while being inarguably their most valuable player.

Another Canadian team made some waves this morning too. The Toronto Maple Leafs opted for a 4F-4D-1G protection scheme, leaving out the newly acquired McCann from their protected list. It doesn’t appear that there’s a side deal to protect him in place, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that McCann’s acquisition purely ensures that one of him or Alexander Kerfoot will remain on the roster in 2021-22. There were some other big surprises out of the East and Canada too, as Nino Niederreiter, Max Domi, Jordan Eberle, Evgenii Dadonov, and James van Riemsdyk were all somewhat unexpectedly left unprotected by their teams.

And then there’s the Vladimir Tarasenko saga in Missouri. The former St. Louis Blues superstar had requested a trade from the team earlier this offseason after a souring relationship, mostly caused by the team’s handling of his recent various shoulder injuries. He’s been left exposed by the team, meaning that they could use him for nothing rather than taking the best available trade offer. It breaks from practice, including the Columbus Blue Jackets’ protection of disgruntled defenseman Seth Jones.

So, we ask you, PHR readers, what shocked you the most about this weekend’s expansion news? Who was the biggest exposure surprise? Vote in our poll below.

[Mobile users, click here to vote!]

2021 Expansion Draft Protection Tracker

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The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft does not take place until Wednesday, July 21, but the proceedings are already underway. The NHL enacted a transactions freeze at 2:00pm CT on Saturday and at 4:00pm protection lists were due from all 30 teams taking part in the draft. The league will review and approve these lists and release them to the other teams and to the public on Sunday. In the meantime though, there will inevitable be leaks of who has been protected as well as who has been exposed. This list will be updated until all protection lists are confirmed:

Anaheim Ducks
Protected: F Nicolas Deslauriers, F Max Jones, F Isac Lundestrom, F Rickard Rakell, F Jakob Silfverberg, F Sam Steel, F Troy Terry, D Cam Fowler, D Hampus Lindholm, D Josh Manson, G John Gibson

Key Players Exposed: D Haydn Fleury, D Brendan Guhle, F Adam Henrique, D Kevin Shattenkirk, F Alexander Volkov

Arizona Coyotes
Protected: F Lawson Crouse, F Christian Dvorak, F Conor Garland, F Clayton Keller, F Phil Kessel, F Johan Larsson, D Kyle Capobianco, D Jakob Chychrun, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, G Darcy Kuemper

Key Players Exposed: F Christian Fischer, F Tyler Pitlick, D Ilya Lyubushkin, G Josef Korenar 

Boston Bruins
Protected: F Patrice Bergeron, F Charlie Coyle, F Jake DeBrusk, F Trent Frederic, F Brad Marchand, F David Pastrnak, F Craig Smith, D Brandon Carlo, D Matt Grzelcyk, D Charlie McAvoy, G Daniel Vladar

Key Players Exposed: D Connor Clifton, F Ondrej Kase, F Curtis Lazar, D Jeremy Lauzon, F Nick Ritchie, F Chris Wagner, D Jakub Zboril

Buffalo Sabres
Protected: F Rasmus Asplund, F Anders Bjork, F Jack Eichel, F Casey Mittelstadt, F Victor Olofsson, F Sam Reinhart, F Tage Thompson, D Rasmus Dahlin, D Henri Jokiharju, D Rasmus Ristolainen, G Linus Ullmark UFA

Key Players Exposed: D Will Borgen, F Zemgus Girgensons, D Colin Miller

Calgary Flames
Protected: F Mikael Backlund, F Dillon Dube, F Johnny Gaudreau, F Elias Lindholm, F Andrew Mangiapane, F Sean Monahan, F Matthew Tkachuk, D Rasmus Andersson, D Noah Hanifin, D Chris Tanev, G Jacob Markstrom

Key Players Exposed: D Mark Giordano, D Oliver Kylington, F Milan Lucic

Carolina Hurricanes 
Protected: F Sebastian Aho, F Jesper Fast, F Warren Foegele, F Jordan Staal, F Andrei Svechnikov, F Teuvo Teravainen, F Vincent Trocheck, F Brett Pesce, F Brady Skjei, F Jaccob Slavin, G Alex Nedeljkovic

Key Players Exposed: D Jake Bean, D Jake Gardiner, F Morgan Geekie, F Nino Niederreiter

Chicago Blackhawks
Protected: F Henrik Borgstrom, F Alex DeBrincat, F Brandon Hagel, F David Kampf, F Patrick Kane, F Dylan Strome, F Jonathan Toews, D Caleb Jones, D Connor Murphy, D Riley Stillman, G Kevin Lankinen 

Key Players Exposed: F Ryan Carpenter, F Brett Connolly, D Calvin de Haan, F Adam Gaudette, G Malcolm Subban, D Nikita Zadorov

Colorado Avalanche 
Protected: F Andre Burakovsky, F Tyson Jost, F Nazem Kadri, F Nathan MacKinnon, F Valeri Nichushkin, F Logan O’Connor, F Mikko Rantanen, D Devon Toews, D Samuel Girard, D Cale Makar, G Philipp Grubauer UFA

Key Players Exposed: F J.T. Compher, F Joonas Donskoi, D Erik Johnson, F Gabriel Landeskog UFA 

Columbus Blue Jackets (link)
Protected: F Cam Atkinson, F Oliver Bjorkstrand, F Boone Jenner, F Patrik Laine, F Gustav Nyquist, F Eric Robinson, F Jack Roslovic, DVladislav Gavrikov, D Seth Jones,  D Zach Werenski, G Joonas Korpisalo

Key Players Exposed: D Gabriel Carlsson, F Max Domi, D Dean Kukan, F Kevin Stenlund

Dallas Stars
Protected: F Jamie Benn, F Radek Faksa, F Denis Gurianov, F Roope Hintz, F Joe Pavelski, F Alexander Radulov, F Tyler Seguin, D Miro Heiskanen, D John Klingberg, D Esa Lindell, G Anton Khudobin

Key Players Exposed: G Ben Bishop, F Tanner Kero, F Adam Mascherin, D Andrej Sekera

Detroit Red Wings
Protected: F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Adam Erne, F Robby Fabbri, F Dylan Larkin, F Michael Rasmussen, F Givani Smith, F Jakub Vrana, D Filip Hronek, D Nick Leddy, D Gustav Lindstrom, G Thomas Greiss

Key Players Exposed: D Dennis Cholowski, D Danny DeKeyser, F Vladislav Namestnikov, D Troy Stecher, F Evgeny Svechnikov

Edmonton Oilers
Protected: F Josh Archibald, F Leon Draisaitl, F Zack Kassian, F Connor McDavid, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F Jesse Puljujarvi, F Kailer Yamamoto, D Ethan Bear, D Duncan Keith, D Darnell Nurse, G Stuart Skinner 

Key Players Exposed: F Tyler Benson, G Mikko Koskinen, D William Lagesson, F Cooper Marody, D Kris Russell

Florida Panthers
Protected: F Aleksander Barkov, F Sam Bennett, F Anthony Duclair, F Patric Hornqvist, F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Mason Marchment, F Carter Verhaeghe, D Aaron Ekblad, D Gustav Forsling, D MacKenzie Weegar, G Sergei Bobrovsky

Key Players Exposed: F Noel Acciari, G Chris Driedger UFA, D Radko Gudas, D Markus Nutivaara, D Anton Stralman, F Frank Vatrano, F Lucas Wallmark

Los Angeles Kings
Protected: F Lias Andersson, F Viktor Arvidsson, F Dustin Brown, F Alex Iafallo, F Adrian Kempe, F Anze Kopitar, F Trevor Moore, D Drew Doughty, D Matt Roy, D Sean Walker, G Cal Petersen

Key Players Exposed: F Andreas Athanasiou, D Kale Clague, F Carl Grundstrom, F Brendan Lemieux, D Olli Maatta, D Kurtis MacDermid, G Jonathan Quick

Minnesota Wild
Protected: F Joel Eriksson Ek, F Kevin Fiala, F Marcus Foligno, F Jordan Greenway, F Ryan Hartman, F Nico Sturm, F Mats Zuccarello, D Jonas Brodin, D Matt Dumba, D Jared Spurgeon, G Cam Talbot

Key Players Exposed: F Nick Bjugstad, G Kaapo Kahkonen, D Brennan Menell, F Victor Rask, D Carson Soucy

Montreal Canadiens
Protected: F Josh Anderson, F Joel Armia UFA, F Jake Evans, F Brendan Gallagher, F Jesperi Kotkaniemi, F Artturi Lehkonen, F Tyler Toffoli, D Ben Chiarot, D Joel Edmundson, D Jeff Petry, G Jake Allen

Key Players Exposed: F Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin, D Brett Kulak, G Carey Price, D Shea Weber

Nashville Predators
Protected: F Filip Forsberg, F Tanner Jeannot, F Luke Kunin, D Alexandre Carrier, D Mattias Ekholm, D Dante Fabbro, D Philippe Myers, D Roman Josi, G Juuse Saros

Key Players Exposed: F Matt Duchene, F Rocco Grimaldi, F Calle Jarnkrok, F Ryan Johansen, F Rem Pitlick, F Colton Sissons, F Yakov Trenin, D Mark Borowiecki, G Connor Ingram

New Jersey Devils
Protected: F Jesper Bratt, F Nico Hischier, F Janne Kuokkanen, F Michael McLeod, F Yegor Sharangovich, F Miles Wood, F Pavel Zacha, D Ryan Graves, D Damon Severson, D Jonas Siegenthaler, G Mackenzie Blackwood

Key Players Exposed: F Nathan Bastian, F Andreas Johansson, D P.K. Subban

New York Islanders
Protected: F Mathew Barzal, F Anthony Beauvillier, F Cal Clutterbuck, F Anders Lee, F Matt Martin, F Brock Nelson, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, D Adam Pelech, D Ryan Pulock, D Scott Mayfield, G Semyon Varlamov

Key Players Exposed: D Sebastian Aho, F Josh Bailey, F Kieffer Bellows, F Michael Dal Colle, F Jordan Eberle, D Thomas Hickey, F Ross Johnston, F Richard Panik

New York Rangers
Protected: F Pavel Buchnevich, F Filip Chytil, F Chris Kreider, F Artemi Panarin, F Kevin Rooney, F Ryan Strome, F Mika Zibanejad, D Libor Hajek, D Ryan Lindgren, D Jacob Trouba, G Alexandar Georgiev

Key Players Exposed: F Colin Blackwell, D Anthony DeAngelo, F Julien Gauthier

Ottawa Senators
Protected: F Drake Batherson, F Connor Brown, F Logan Brown, F Nick Paul, F Brady Tkachuk, F Austin Watson, F Colin White, D Thomas Chabot, D Victor Mete, D Nikita Zaitsev, G Filip Gustavsson

Key Players Exposed: F Vitaly Abramov, D Josh Brown, G Joey Daccord, F Evgenii Dadonov, G Matt Murray, F Chris Tierney

Philadelphia Flyers
Protected: F Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F Sean Couturier, F Claude Giroux, F Kevin Hayes, F Travis Konecny, F Scott Laughton, F Oskar Lindblom, D Ryan Ellis, D Ivan Provorov, D Travis Sanheim, G Carter Hart

Key Players Exposed: D Justin Braun, D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Robert Hagg, F James van Riemsdyk, F Jakub Voracek

Pittsburgh Penguins 
Protected: F Teddy Blueger, F Jeff Carter, F Sidney Crosby, F Jake Guentzel, F Kasperi Kapanen, F Evgeni Malkin, F Bryan Rust, D Brian Dumoulin, D Kris Letang, D Mike Matheson, G Tristan Jarry

Key Players Exposed: G Casey DeSmith, D Marcus Pettersson, F Brandon Tanev, F Jason Zucker

San Jose Sharks
Protected: F Rudolfs Balcers, F Logan Couture, F Jonathan Dahlen, F Tomas Hertl, F Evander Kane, F Kevin Labanc, F Timo Meier, D Brent Burns, D Erik Karlsson, D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, G Adin Hill

Key Players Exposed: D Ryan Donato, F Dylan Gambrell, G Martin Jones, F Matthew Nieto, D Radim Simek

St. Louis Blues
Protected: F Ivan Barbashev, F Jordan Kyrou, F Ryan O’Reilly, F David Perron, F Brayden Schenn, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Robert Thomas, D Justin Faulk, D Torey Krug, D Colton Parayko, G Jordan Binnington

Key Players Exposed: F Sammy Blais, D Robert Bortuzzo, F Kyle Clifford, D Vince Dunn, D Niko Mikkola, F Zach Sanford, D Marco Scandella, F Vladimir Tarasenko 

Tampa Bay Lightning 
Protected: F Anthony Cirelli, F Nikita Kucherov, F Brayden Point, F Steven Stamkos, D Erik Cernak, D Victor Hedman, D Ryan McDonagh, D Mikhail Sergachev, G Andrei Vasilevskiy

Key Players Exposed: F Ross Colton, D Cal Foote, F Yanni Gourde, F Tyler Johnson, F Mathieu Joseph, F Alex Killorn, F Ondrej Palat

Toronto Maple Leafs 
Protected: F Mitch Marner, F Auston Matthews, F William Nylander, F John Tavares, D T.J. Brodie, D Justin Holl, D Jake Muzzin, D Morgan Rielly, G Jack Campbell

Key Players Exposed: D Travis Dermott, F Pierre Engvall, F Alexander Kerfoot, F Jared McCann

Vancouver Canucks
Protected: F Brock Boeser, F Jason Dickinson, F Bo Horvat, F J.T. Miller, F Tyler Motte, F Tanner Pearson, F Elias Pettersson, D Olli Juolevi, D Tyler Myers, D Nate Schmidt, G Thatcher Demko

Key Players Exposed: D Madison Bowey, F Loui Eriksson, F Jonah Gadjovich, F Matthew Highmore, G Braden Holtby, F Kole Lind, F Antoine Roussel, F Jake Virtanen

Washington Capitals
Protected: F Nicklas Backstrom, F Lars Eller, F Evgeny Kuznetsov, F T.J. Oshie, F Daniel Sprong, F Tom Wilson, D John Carlson, D Dmitry Orlov, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, G Ilya Samsonov

Key Players Exposed: D Brenden Dillon, D Nick Jensen, D Justin Schultz, F Conor Sheary, G Vitek Vanecek

Winnipeg Jets
Protected: F Kyle Connor, F Andrew Copp, F Pierre-Luc Dubois, F Nikolaj Ehlers, F Adam Lowry, F Mark Scheifele, F Blake Wheeler, D Josh Morrissey, D Neal Pionk, D Logan Stanley, G Connor Hellebuyck

Key Players Exposed: F Mason Appleton, G Mikhail Berdin, D Dylan DeMelo, F Jansen Harkins, D Sami Niku

New York Islanders Re-Sign Andy Greene

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The NHL’s pre-Expansion Draft roster freeze had ended and it appeared as if the New York Islanders had gotten themselves into quite the pickle. After trading Nick Leddy earlier this week, the Isles were left with just two defensemen who fit the exposure requirements for expansion – 27+ games played this year or 54+ games played over the past two years, plus term remaining on their current contract – and one of those two had to be exposed. However, those two defensemen were Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield, who alongside RFA Adam Pelech were expected to be protected from expansion. After all, that was the main catalyst of the Leddy trade.

Well, long after the deadline had passed it has now been confirmed that the Islanders did find a solution to their problem, with the timing suggesting this was perhaps a fallback plan in the event they could not add an exposure-eligible defenseman. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple was the first to report that New York has extended veteran defenseman Andy Greene with a one-year, $1MM contract. The deal carries a minimum $750K salary and a $250K signing bonus. Most importantly, Greene is now under contract and has more than enough games to his credit this past season to serve as the Islanders’ expansion exposure prop.

Greene, who will turn 39 early this season, is still a good player and a great locker room presence. However, re-signing the veteran may not have been GM Lou Lamoriello’s plan, even with a relatively inexpensive deal. Greene saw a 12-year low in ice time last season as his offense dried up, his puck movement suffered, and he was less disruptive on defense. Greene is still a smart, capable defenseman, especially in a third pair role, but at his age and ability his ceiling is low. Meanwhile, the Islanders have young defensemen like Noah Dobson, Sebastian Aho, Bode Wilde, Grant Hutton, Samuel Bolduc, Robin Salo, and more who are pushing for NHL opportunity and ice time. The Isles will have to toe the line between not blocking those young players and not upsetting the locker room by benching or demoting Greene, a veteran leader.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Brett Howden

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The Vegas Golden Knights are using their Expansion Draft exemption to their benefit today, strengthening their greatest position of need by adding a second center via trade before the NHL roster freeze set in. Believed to be the final trade submitted prior to the deadline, Vegas has acquired forward Brett Howden from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round pick and defenseman Nick DeSimone. 

Howden appeared to be on the outside of the Rangers’ planned protection scheme and this trade all but confirms that. Although Howden is a former top prospect, a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016, his offense has not translated to the pro game. In fact, his scoring has been on the decline in each of his three NHL seasons. Howden works hard, plays the center position well, is a penalty kill asset, and his character is well-regarded, but his ceiling appears to be that of a bottom-six forward. If he learns to use his 6’3″, 200-lb. frame in a more physical manner, he could still become an impact forward given his youth and the flashes of ability he has shown. However, the Rangers were not willing to sacrifice another forward for a player who they have not seen enough consistent improvement from.

In Vegas, the Knights are exempt from the Expansion Draft and happy to take a chance on a center who otherwise could have gone to their new division rivals in Seattle. Howden will compete for a bottom-six center role early on, as will their other major addition today, Nolan Patrick, but there is potential for either center to climb up the roster given the team’s shallow depth at center. Improving that position, even with just a solid but unspectacular addition, is well worth a mid-round pick and aging prospect.

DeSimone did not last long in Vegas. The defenseman was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Mattias Janmark deal at the Trade Deadline and is on the move again a few short months later. A New York native who attended college in-state at Union College, this is a homecoming of sorts for DeSimone. The 26-year-old may be buried behind the Rangers’ deep group of young defensemen, but it never hurts to have an offensive-minded blue liner and right shot waiting in the wings.

New York Rangers Obtain Signing Rights To Barclay Goodrow

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Forward Barclay Goodrow is slated for unrestricted free agency on July 28 and in the meantime very well might be left exposed in the NHL Expansion Draft, leaving him free to negotiate with the Seattle Kraken. However, should he not sign with Seattle, Goodrow’s exclusive negotiating rights now belong to the New York Rangers. The team took the minor risk of getting a head start on contract talks with the two-way winger by sending a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for his expiring contract. That risk will be well worth it if Goodrow signs with New York, as he was expected to draw considerable interest on the open market. The Lightning were not able to extend Goodrow due to salary cap concerns, so they will happily settle for an extra draft pick.

While Goodrow was known as a good two-way forward during his time in San Jose, he blossomed over the past two seasons in Tampa. His offense has improved as has his physicality, creating a dangerous bottom-six combination. A hard-nosed player who excels at even strength and on the penalty kill, Goodrow could assist the Rangers in a number of ways. Namely, new GM Chris Drury wanted to make the team more difficult to play against and adding Goodrow would accomplish that.

However, New York needs to be careful not to negotiate against themselves in this situation. While there has already been rampant speculation that Goodrow could command a long-term contract or considerable salary this off-season, that is with the presumption that he reaches the open market. The Rangers have too many promising young players that will need expensive extensions down the road, not to mention a major hole at top-six center, to get roped into overpaying for a bottom-six forward. Their only competition for Goodrow right now is the Seattle Kraken, otherwise they would be wise to negotiate as if they have exclusive rights and try to keep Goodrow’s value from being artificially inflated before free agency begins.

Ryan Ellis, Phillippe Myers, Nolan Patrick, Cody Glass Swapped In Three-Team Trade

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Talk about going out with a bang. Just before the NHL entered a transaction freeze that lasts through Wednesday’s Expansion Draft, the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vegas Golden Knights completed a trade with a slew of big names. Nashville sent career Predator Ryan Ellis to Philadelphia in exchange for fellow defenseman Philippe Myers and center Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. The Predators then flipped Patrick to Vegas for another young center, Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, this is a purely player-for-player trade with no picks or prospects changing hands.

At first glance, the biggest winner in this trade has to be the Flyers. While Nashville was exploring trading one of five defensemen that they would have liked to protect from expansion, Ellis was not considered to be a likely trade candidate. The 30-year-old right-hander has been an elite defenseman for the better part of the last decade with the Predators, playing big minutes and producing impressive point totals all while playing a sound defensive game. Admittedly, Ellis does carry some concerns, including an offensive drop-off this season, an injury history, and a contract with six years and $37.5MM remaining. However, at least in the short-term, he is an outstanding addition to the Flyers’ defense corps. Their core objective this off-season was to find a mate for Ivan Provorov on the top pair and that is now complete.

It is hard to take issue with the cost paid by the Flyers as well. Ellis, though much older and a very different style of player, is a tremendous upgrade to Myers on the Philly blue line. As a one-for-one swap, there is no question that Ellis is the better player right now and Myers will likely never reach that caliber of play either. As for Patrick, the young forward needed a change of scenery after his first few years as a pro player have been marked by injury and inconsistency. There was some discussion that Philadelphia could even leave Patrick exposed, given their vast number of valuable, expansion eligible forwards. By moving Patrick in this deal, the Flyers give up the upside of the former top pick, but gain protection flexibility in exchange. Leading scorer James van Riemsdyk or long-time standout Jakub Voracek, both previously expected to be exposed to the Seattle Kraken, could now step into Patrick’s vacancy.

As for Nashville, the deal solves some problems but all of them. The Predators have been looking to clear salary cap space this summer to improve their roster and do just that by getting out from under Ellis’ expensive long-term contract. However, by bringing in Myers they are still left with five defensemen that they would like to protect – Myers, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Dante Fabbro, and Alexandre Carrier – but only eight total skaters they can protect. Fortunately, the forward portion of their protection scheme is made easier by flipping Patrick for Glass, who is exempt from the Expansion Draft. Glass was never given consistent opportunity in Vegas possesses ample ability and could find success for Nashville right away.

Vegas was clearly unhappy with Glass’ development, leading to his benching in the postseason and trade rumors early this off-season. However, the team has been too quick to trade away prospects and picks in their early seasons of existence and losing Glass would have hurt their pipeline if he had been dealt in a deal for yet another veteran. Instead, they replace him with Patrick, who is still just 22 and has three seasons of NHL experience under his belt. Perhaps most importantly, Patrick has experience with Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, the former GM of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings when Patrick was a superstar for the team. If anyone can help Patrick get back on track and reach his potential, it could be McCrimmon. In regards to the Expansion Draft, Vegas is exempt and taking advantage of that special privilege with what could turn out to be a major move down the road.

This is a landscape-shifting move for the Seattle Kraken, who now could see players for both Philadelphia and Nashville that they expected to be exposed now protected. It is believed that the Predators were seeking a side deal with Seattle and there is no word as to whether one has been completed or not, though Nashville appears to have some sort of trick up their sleeve. As for Philly, the Kraken probably believed that they could see at least two of Patrick, van Riemsdyk, and Voracek exposed, but now will not. GM Ron Francis and company have their work cut out for them in reacting to a wild pre-roster freeze flurry.

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