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Metropolitan Notes: Zucker, Bailey, Hagelin

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Jason Zucker’s tenure with the Penguins has been a tough one with the veteran struggling to stay healthy and not being as productive as expected when he has played.  With that in mind, some wondered if they’d try to find a home for him this summer.  As Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports, they did have the opportunity to do so but elected to not pay the high premium it would have cost to do so.  The proposal, which is believed to come from a division rival, would have seen the Penguins part with a first-round pick to clear the final year and $5.5MM of his deal off the books while not receiving anything in return.  We’ve seen that happen recently with the Sean Monahan trade but it would have been a steep price to pay for Pittsburgh.  Interestingly, no team in the division has the money to take on Zucker’s deal outright so this opportunity likely would have come early in the summer before other moves were made.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While some expected the Islanders to move Josh Bailey in order to free up cap space this summer, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the winger was told at the draft that he wouldn’t be getting moved. The 32-year-old managed to record 44 points in 74 games last season but has seen his production taper off over the last few seasons compared to a three-year stretch where he had at least 56 points per season.  Bailey has two years left on a contract that carries a $5MM AAV and in this trade market, New York would have been hard-pressed to get top value for his services if they did move him.
  • Capitals winger Carl Hagelin took part in informal team skates without needing a no-contact designation, relays Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran has been dealing with an eye injury that has his availability for the upcoming season in question but the fact he’s skating without restriction bodes well for him.  The 34-year-old had 14 points in 53 games last season.

Afternoon Notes: Kubalik, Bailey, Burakovsky, Murray

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Earlier this week, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that the Chicago Blackhawks were not expected to extend a qualifying offer to forward Dylan Strome, and now it appears forward Dominik Kubalik will not be receiving one either, says The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. Failing to qualify Kubalik is not much of a surprise given the choice not to keep Strome around either, and Chicago’s plan to conduct a full-scale rebuild. Had Chicago wanted to qualify Kubalik, the offer would have had to be for $4MM, relatively high as compared to the 32 points of production Kubalik offered in 78 games this season.

Choosing not to qualify Kubalik doesn’t necessarily foreclose the possibility of a return to the Blackhawks, as the move might be to avoid Kubalik accepting the offer or filing for arbitration, but it would make a reunion highly unlikely nonetheless. Although far from a bright side, this doesn’t signify a major blow to Kubalik’s future success, the Czech winger still capable of producing offense, even tallying as much as 30 goals as a rookie in 2019-20, in just 68 games. With a somewhat significant decline from his previous production in 2021-22, Kubalik may not find another deal at the qualifying offer he was expecting, but should find himself with interest from teams that are on a budget but looking to add a spark on offense.

  • From a player who seems on his way to a new team to a player who appears to be staying with his one and only team, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that the New York Islanders are not only not shopping forward Josh Bailey, but he may not be available altogether. The veteran winger has been a staple in the Islanders’ lineup for 14 years and has two more years at $5MM left on his contract. With the team needing to clear some cap space if they want to add offense and re-sign RFA defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, Bailey had been rumored to be an expendable piece with a relatively significant cap hit the team could cut out.
  • Peter Baugh, who covers the Colorado Avalanche for The Athletic, says that talks between the Avalanche and winger Andre Burakovsky have been quiet, however Burakovsky does still hope to remain in Colorado. With the veteran a pending UFA, and the market opening up on Wednesday afternoon, if Colorado wants to keep him around, the talks will likely have to intensify shortly to get something done. The forward has seen his production take a massive step forward since being traded to Colorado from the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2019, hitting a career-high 61 points in 80 games this season. In addition to Colorado’s need to balance the salary cap along with other pending UFAs in Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin, Burakovsky also brings with him a streaky nature, leaving his breakout and free agency with question marks surrounding it.
  • According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, talks between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs on goaltender Matt Murray have intensified, though nothing is done just yet. Murray has been one of the most frequently discussed names of the young offseason, with a deal to the Buffalo Sabres seeming to materialize before Murray killed it via his no-trade clause. The goaltender has two more years carrying a $6.25MM cap hit left on his contract, and any trade would likely require Ottawa to retain some salary while also potentially including an asset as well.

Looking Ahead At The Islanders’ Offseason Plans

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The New York Islanders began their offseason work while they were still playing games, signing two players thought to be trade-bait, Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise, to extensions on trade deadline day. After the conclusion of the season, the team announced the firing of legendary Head Coach Barry Trotz and soon after, the hiring of new Head Coach Lane Lambert, Trotz’s longtime assistant. Since then, things on Long Island have been rather quiet, perhaps due in part to General Manager Lou Lamoriello’s tight-lipped approach and partly due to the Islanders only having one major contract to workout this offseason: an extension for RFA defenseman Noah Dobson.

In his latest 32 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touches on the Islanders’ offseason plans, keying in on three players that have been tossed around as possible trade candidates: goaltender Semyon Varlamov and forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. On Varlamov, Friedman believes the team prefers to keep the veteran goaltender, who is heading into the final year of a four-year, $20MM contract. Seeing the Islanders lean towards keeping Varlamov is a bit surprising, given his status as a trade deadline target this year, and a goaltending market that seems to have unusually high demand as compared to its supply. But, seen at a different angle, the Islanders presumably still view themselves as a playoff team, so having a complimentary piece to Ilya Sorokin in net may be more valuable than any return they could get.

Friedman says he believes the Islanders could also be a “stealth candidate” for impending UFA Johnny Gaudreau, but adds that if they want Gaudreau and an extension with Dobson, they would have to perform cap surgery to make it happen. The sorts of moves it might take to create the amount of cap room to add an impact forward like Gaudreau and extend Dobson, not to mention add one or two defensemen, with just three under contract for next year plus Dobson, could be difficult. For one, the team has already shed the contract of Andrew Ladd, which cost significant assets and merely allowed them to sign forward Kyle Palmieri and traded steady defenseman Nick Leddy away to create more space. Further, the offseason prior, they traded Devon Toews to the Colorado Avalanche for cap reasons, but suffered the consequence of Toews breaking out into a Norris-caliber defenseman.

The most likely options for the Islanders to make room would be to deal at least one of Varlamov, Beauvillier, or Bailey. Considering the likelihood, or lack thereof, of the team moving Varlamov, that leaves Beauvillier and Bailey. Beauvillier carries a $4.15MM cap hit for the next two seasons, but brings with him an inconsistent track record. Just 25 years old, if the team were to move on from Beauvillier, they may be able to obtain an asset for the forward, but the deal could be more akin to the trade of Toews as opposed to Ladd or Leddy if Beauvillier turns a corner with his new franchise.

Bailey may fall into the category of a salary-cap-dump with two years at $5MM per season left on his contract and soon to be 33-years-old, however the veteran has been a productive player, compiling a 14 goal and 30 assist 2021-22 campaign, spread over 74 games and has had as many as 71 points in a season, coming back in 2017-18. Still, Bailey sits at 993 career games played, all with the Islanders, and given Lamoriello’s track record of loyalty towards his players, a trade of the longest-tenured Islander, especially this close to a milestone like that, may be unlikely.

Beyond the names Friedman mentions, there isn’t much room to move for the Islanders. Palmieri, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech, all of whom are signed for multiple years at reasonably significant cap hits, represent the franchise’s core players. Though Dobson is the only major piece to be signed this offseason, looking ahead to next offseason, the team also needs to extend dynamic center Mathew Barzal and reliable defenseman Scott Mayfield, who is currently making a team-friendly $1.5MM in 2022-23.

Injury Updates: Islanders, Canadiens, Tarasenko

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The Islanders will be without winger Oliver Wahlstrom for tomorrow’s game against Montreal due to an upper-body injury, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link).  He was injured in Thursday’s victory over Boston and is listed as day-to-day.  The good news for New York is that they’re expected to welcome winger Josh Bailey back after he missed Thursday’s contest.  Meanwhile, Semyon Varlamov has returned to New York after testing positive for COVID while in Western Canada.  He remains unavailable for the time being.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • The Canadiens are expected to have defenseman Ben Chiarot back in the lineup tomorrow, notes TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). The blueliner was injured last weekend against Columbus and while it was a minor injury, they needed to move him to IR to free up a roster spot to bring up a replacement for him.  Chiarot is widely expected to be traded by the deadline but it appears Montreal isn’t ready to hold him out of action as a precautionary measure just yet.
  • Still with Montreal, the Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that Joel Armia is listed as day-to-day and will not play tomorrow afternoon. He took a skate blade to the face late in Thursday’s victory over St. Louis.  It has been a tough season for the 28-year-old as he has scored just twice in 37 games in the first season of a new four-year, $13.6MM contract.
  • The Blues announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko will not play tonight in Toronto due to an undisclosed injury suffered in Thursday’s game against Montreal. The nature of the injury was not disclosed but head coach Craig Berube listed the veteran as day-to-day.  Tarasenko has had a nice bounce-back season and leads St. Louis in scoring with 45 points in 44 games.  Tyler Bozak will take Tarasenko’s place in the lineup.

Several Players Removed From COVID Protocol As Islanders Resume Season

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The New York Islanders will be back on the ice tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks, resuming their schedule after missing the last two games due to a COVID outbreak. Not only that, they’ll have a good amount of reinforcements for the group as well. Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Adam Pelech, Andy Greene, and Ross Johnston are all out of the COVID protocol, according to head coach Barry Trotz, who spoke with reporters including Andrew Gross of Newsday. Trotz expects four of those five to play tomorrow night.

That’s everyone but Kieffer Bellows, who was the last to enter the protocol before the team was shut down. It also means that if Lee plays tomorrow as expected, it will be the first time the Islanders’ faithful will get to see their captain at the new UBS Arena. Lee has only played on the road so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games.

“Our playoffs are now” said Trotz today, as the Islanders resume their season looking up from the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. They’ve only played 17 games, six fewer than the division-leading Washington Capitals, but have just five wins and 12 points. They’ll be looking to crack an eight-game losing streak and somehow get back into the mix despite a brutal start to the year.

Islanders’ Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey Sidelined

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Just before puck drop of their Tuesday night match-up with the red hot Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders announced that they will be without two key contributors. The team revealed that defenseman Ryan Pulock has suffered a lower-body injury and forward Josh Bailey has been placed in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. It is unclear if either player will be available for the Isles’ next game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Both Pulock and Bailey skated just last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, implying that Pulock was injured in the game and Bailey likely entered the protocol on account of a positive test, without much opportunity for a close contact outside the locker room. Pulock did record only 16:45 of ice time on Monday, fifth among Islanders defenders and well below his norm, so it should not be a surprise that he is not at full strength. The team did not disclose any details about Pulock’s injury and only noted that he will be re-evaluated once the team returns to New York. Bailey too is on an indeterminate timeline as he goes through the COVID Protocol.

With the Islanders sitting at .500, sharing last place in the Metropolitan Division, the team can ill afford to be without two of their top play-makers. The team is off to a slow start this season and Pulock (2 points, -2 rating in 12 games) and Bailey (6 points, -5 rating in 12 games) are no exception. However, both are still invaluable members of the team. Pulock leads all Islanders in time on ice, while Bailey is logging top line minutes himself. They may not be at the their best right now, but righting the ship will be much more difficult for New York without their stalwart defender and long-time veteran scorer. The Islanders have to hope that Bailey’s stint in the Protocol is little more than a formality and that Pulock’s injury is only minor.

New York Islanders Facing Severe Roster Crunch

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After a slow summer, the month of September has belonged to GM Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders. On September 1, the team announced new contracts for forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle Palmieri and goaltender Ilya Sorokin. That same day, they hinted that veteran UFA Zach Parise will also be joining the team and have provided even more evidence of that fact since, despite no formal announcement. This week, the team made a flurry of depth signings, adding forwards Andy Andreoff, Cole Bardreau, Otto Koivula, and Dmytro Timashov and defenseman Paul LaDue, while inviting veteran blue liner Erik Gustafsson to training camp. They then capped off the week with Saturday’s high-profile signing of Zdeno Chara. 

This is all well and good on its face, but the reality is that there are only so many roster spots to go around. Interestingly enough, the Islanders should be okay with the salary cap. CapFriendly currently projects the team to be over the cap, but using only $4.48MM of their $6MM in LTIR relief from Johnny Boychuk’s career-ending injury. While this projection does not include the undisclosed terms for Chara and Parise, it is based on a 23-man roster and those veterans are expected to have minimum base salary, incentive-laden contract. However, therein lies the problem. CapFriendly already has New York roster at the maximum 23 players, but that does not include Chara and Parise, nor does it include unsigned restricted free agent Kieffer Bellows. Something has to give.

So who could be on the chopping block? It isn’t a long list. Many of the Islanders’ core players are returning from a run to the semifinals last season and are locked into a roster spot. In fact, the team may have its full group of 12 starting forwards already in place. Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Josh Bailey, Oliver Wahlstrom, Palmieri, Beauvillier, and Parise expect to be in top-nine roles, while one of the league’s best fourth lines of Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, and Cizikas will stick together as well. On the blue line, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock will man the top pair and Scott Mayfield will be back on the second pair. Young righty Noah Dobson and the veteran lefties, Chara and Andy Greene, are at least locks for a roster spot, if not a starting role. In net, there is no question that Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin will be the NHL tandem.

This leaves three roster spots up for grabs and CapFriendly has five names currently projected for the roster: forwards Ross Johnston, Leo Komarov, and Richard Panik and defensemen Sebastian Aho and the recently-signed LaDue. They don’t expect veteran defenseman Thomas Hickey to crack the roster, but the oft-buried blue liner will have a chance to battle for a spot as well. There is also the unsigned Bellows to consider, as well as the potential for Gustafsson’s PTO to be successful. A top prospect like forward Simon Holmstrom or defensemen Robin Salo, Bode Wilde, or Samuel Bolduc may also force the Isles’ hand. While excellent depth is a good problem to have, the issue for the Islanders is that all of these players (minus the prospects) are not waivers-exempt. They have seven or eight good veteran players to evaluate for three roster spots and no guarantee that the four or five that do not make the cut will not be lost on waiver.

Bellows, especially, is a risk. Assuming the 23-year-old is eventually signed, the Islanders will be tempting fate if they try to sneak him through waivers. A 2016 first-round pick, Bellows NHL action has been limited, but the noted sniper does have five goals in his 22 games. A number of teams would be willing to take a shot on his scoring potential. Johnston and Komarov have cleared waivers in the past, but both are now in the final years of their current contracts making them more attractive on waivers. Johnston is a strong defensive forward and physical presence and Komarov is a streaky, but effective two-way presence; both of which have value. Komarov’s $3MM cap hit could make him the most likely to clear waivers though. Panik, who was just acquired by the Islanders this summer, has more recent scoring results than any of the other names competing for a forward spot and has half of his salary retained, making him another dangerous waiver exposure even with two years on his current contract. Of the three available roster spots, no more than two are likely to go to the forward position, so at least two of these forwards will either need to be tested on waivers – and potentially lost for free – or otherwise traded.

The situation on defense is slightly easier to manage. Aho, LaDue, and Hickey have all cleared waivers recently. In fact, LaDue spent all of last season in the AHL and is not much of a risk to be claimed on waivers. There is some more concern with Aho, 25, and Hickey, whose $2.5MM salary is more palatable to other teams in his final year. Both spent all of last season with the Islanders, but for both to do so again it would mean sacrificing one of the aforementioned forwards who are on the chopping block. If Gustafsson does earn a contract with New York from his PTO, that would likely mean that he is earning a roster spot, as the power play specialist would draw interest from a number of teams at a minimum salary, especially with a strong preseason performance.

While it has seemed like the Islanders have been loading up in recent weeks, Lamoriello still has some work to do. Lamoriello may need to explore the trade market for Bellows if he cannot re-sign him or cannot commit to a roster spot for the high-ceiling forward. He may then need to test the trade waters for several of his other players as well, lest he lose them on waivers for nothing. One way or another, as strong as the Islanders’ depth looks right now, it is highly unlikely that all of these players will still be with the organization when the season begins. Which are retained and which are lost could come back to play a big role in the team’s success this season.

Poll: Who Will Take Home The Conn Smythe Trophy?

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While four teams are still left in the running, the end of the season is near enough that Conn Smythe Trophy speculation can begin in earnest. In recent years, future Hall of Famers have put up giant playoff performances en route to championships, as Alex Ovechkin, Victor Hedman, and Sidney Crosby have all added a playoff MVP to their résumé.

But now, we turn our attention to the players grabbing headlines during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning look poised to repeat as champions on the back of a fully healthy core. The Vegas Golden Knights are struggling and facing elimination, but always seem to turn it on when it matters most. The New York Islanders continue to play disciplined defensive hockey, and the Montreal Canadiens continue to ride an underdog wave.

The Lightning have many candidates, as the teams to fall to them know all too well. Nikita Kucherov has absolutely tormented opponents on the power play since returning from injury, leading the playoffs with 27 points in just 16 games. Brayden Point has also terrorized opponents on the scoresheet, tallying an incredible 13 goals in 16 games. Tampa Bay’s trifecta wouldn’t be complete without an incredible performance from goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who’s posted a .936 save percentage to pair with an 11-5 record.

Should the Islanders move on, there’s no real clear-cut candidate from their squad. It speaks as a testament to the strength of a team the Isles have assembled. Everyone’s eyes should turn immediately to Mathew Barzal, however. After a slow start, Barzal is approaching the team lead for both goals and points. Nods should also be given to Josh Bailey and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who sit tied for the team lead with 13 points in 17 games. Brock Nelson and newcomer Kyle Palmieri share the team lead in goals with seven, and could also receive votes.

For the Golden Knights, Max Pacioretty and Alex Pietrangelo should be classified as the leading candidates. Pietrangelo has been playing his best hockey as a Knight, tallying 11 points in 18 games while playing almost 25 minutes a night. Max Pacioretty leads the team in points per game, having scored 11 in 12 since returning from injury. While Marc-Andre Fleury received earlier consideration, a string of recent mediocre performances likely put him behind Pacioretty and Pietrangelo for contender status.

And for the upstart Habs, it’s veteran Carey Price who’ll undoubtedly take home the hardware should they win it all. The 33-year-old netminder has posted a .933 save percentage in 16 games, playing every game for Montreal during the playoff run. Free-agent acquisition Tyler Toffoli could receive some love too with 14 points in 16 games.

So now we ask you – who’ll be taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy at the conclusion of these playoffs? Vote below!

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Expansion Primer: New York Islanders

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Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.

In 2017, the New York Islanders were one of the few lucky teams not to lose a player in the Expansion Draft, as the Vegas Golden Knights selected free agent goaltender Jean-Francois Berube. They paid dearly for that privilege though, trading a first-round pick, second-round pick, and defenseman Jake Bischoff (as well as the contract of Mikhail Grabovski) in order for Vegas to take Berube. The team was also the only one to protect three forwards and five defensemen.

This time around, the Islanders are unlikely to pay a heavy price to keep their unprotected players from being selected in the NHL Expansion Draft and they are also expected to go with a more orthodox protection scheme. Will they lose a good player? Sure. However, two-time reigning GM of the Year winner Lou Lamoriello has left his team in decent shape as expansion approaches.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:
Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Kieffer Bellows, Cal Clutterbuck, Austin Czarnik, Michael Dal Colle, Jordan Eberle, Ross Johnston, Otto Koivula, Leo Komarov, Andrew Ladd, Anders Lee, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Dmytro Timashov

Defense:
Sebastian Aho, Thomas Hickey, Nick Leddy, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Parker Wotherspoon

Goalies:
Ken Appleby, Semyon Varlamov

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents

F Casey Cizikas, D Braydon Coburn, D Andy Greene, F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac

Notable Exemptions

D Johnny Boychuk (Inj.), D Samuel Bolduc, D Noah Dobson, D Robin Salo, G Jakub Skarek, G Ilya Sorokin, F Oliver Wahlstrom

Key Decisions

When you miss the playoffs or even exit early, it is easier to look toward the future when it comes to making difficult decisions in regards to the Expansion Draft (see: Philadelphia Flyers). However, when it comes to the Islanders, their current deep playoff run could make that difficult. The team faces several decisions in which they must choose between a top veteran or a younger future piece and must sort that out.

However, there are some no-brainers to start. In goal, the team specifically signed Appleby only to expose him, allowing them to protect starter Varlamov. On defense, the tongue-twisting top pair of Pelech and Pulock are locked in for protection. At forward, young core pieces Barzal and Beauvillier and captain Lee are also guarantees.

After that, things get difficult. The seemingly easy call is to protect their other top-scoring veteran forwards. Bailey, Nelson, Eberle, and Pageau are all key pieces to this season and playoff run and are all signed long-term. However, Bailey and Eberle will both turn 32 next season and carry expensive contracts for several more years, but have shown signs of decline in recent seasons. They will both certainly be contributors for another year or possibly longer, but are they worth losing another forward and missing out on using the cap space elsewhere?

If any of that core group of top-nine forwards is not protected, other candidates include reliable fourth liners Clutterbuck and Martin. However, the player who deserves the most consideration is young Bellows. The 23-year-old forward is a 2016 first-round pick who produced with the USNTDP, in the NCAA, the WHL, and most recently the AHL. His scoring has yet to translate to the NHL, but it seems like a safe bet. With more time and opportunity, Bellows could easily be a top goal-scorer for an NHL team. Do the Islanders risk that team being the Seattle Kraken?

One thing that is certain is that the depth up front will ensure the Islanders use the 7-3 protetion scheme. On defense, behind Pelech and Pulock, it may seem like top-scoring defenseman Leddy should be the final pick and he very well may be. After some down years, Leddy impressed this season and was invaluable to the Islanders’ success. He also plays a key leadership role as an experienced, long-time member of the team.

However, Leddy’s age and his expiring contract could make him a diminishing asset for the team. In his place, they could keep the younger, more affordable, and arguably equally valuable Mayfield. Initially more of a stay-at-home defenseman, Mayfield has rounded out his game in recent years and with that his role has increased. At $1.45MM for two more years, Mayfield is a bargain and would have a greater total impact on the team if Leddy leaves after next season, even if Leddy is the superior performer next season alone. Is that enough to make him the selection? Another outside-the-box candidate would be 22-year-old Aho, who showed potential last season but took a step back this year.

Projected Protection List

F Josh Bailey
F Mathew Barzal
F Anthony Beauvillier
F Jordan Eberle
F Anders Lee
F Brock Nelson
F Jean-Gabriel Pageau

D Nick Leddy
D Adam Pelech
D Ryan Pulock

G Semyon Varlamov

Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist

When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined.  Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined.  In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.

Forwards (3): Cal Clutterbuck, Leo Komarov, Matt Martin

Defensemen (1): Scott Mayfield

The Islanders’ current playoff run could very likely determine their approach to the Expansion Draft. If they feel strongly about their success in winning the East Division or if they are able to advance to the next round, they may feel that they are close enough to winning a Stanley Cup that they keep all of their top-performing veterans. Yet, if they win the Cup, perhaps that focus shifts back to the future and the emphasis becomes long-term assets. Either way, the Islanders will have to expose good players and after giving up a king’s ransom to Vegas in the last round of Expansion and already with a relatively shallow prospect pipeline and missing several draft picks, they are unlikely to make any side deals.

If available, a top veteran like Leddy, Bailey, or Eberle would be an easy pick for Seattle. However, assuming they are protected, Mayfield does stick out as the top option. The only issue there could be that there will be many teams who expose solid defensemen and don’t have any quality forwards available. A young, high-upside forward like Bellows may be hard to pass up. The Kraken will have plenty of options and the Islanders will lose a good player – likely their No. 4 defenseman or top forward prospect – but they will survive.

East Notes: Granato, Halak, Islanders, Chara

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The Buffalo Sabres seem like a different team since Ralph Krueger was fired and replaced with interim head coach Don Granato. While it was believed that Granato was strictly holding the fort down for the remainder of the season until the team could hire more experienced NHL coach, there are many voices suggesting that the Sabres may have already found their coach of the future in Granato.

In fact, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington notes that the team has played well under Granato, who has stressed the need for the players to have fun and has already made a positive impression on the play of Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. He has practiced the team hard since taking over and while his team started at 0-5-1, he has turned the team around since then and has a 5-3-2 record since that point. His style of coaching is quite a bit different than the defense-first style of Krueger and the players seem to be responding to it, suggesting that Buffalo should hold onto what it has.

  • After getting back Tuukka Rask recently, the Boston Bruins could be close to getting back another goaltender shortly as head coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday that Jaroslav Halak has been skating on his own and could be eligible to return to the team on Monday. Halak was removed from the COVID Protocol list Saturday after having missed two weeks. The 35-year-old has been solid for the Bruins this season in 17 appearances, boasting a 2,44 GAA and a .910 save percentage and should help stabilize the net even more in Boston.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injuries to both Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck are considered to be closer to day-to-day as opposed to week-to-week, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. However, he added that there isn’t a clear timeline for the return of either player. Bailey and Clutterbuck are expected to miss their second-straight game Sunday with a undisclosed injuries. Bailey has six goals and 25 points in 43 games so far this season, while Clutterbuck has three goals, nine points and 147 hits on the team’s fourth line this year.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara missed his first game of the season Sunday after taking some painful shots off his body Saturday against Philadelphia, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He is considered day-to-day.

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