NHL Expansion Draft (July 21)

cshea

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Lists will be released this morning. Some info trickling out. Sounds like Toronto went 4-4-1, thus leaving newly acquired Jared McCann exposed. Tampa also a 4-4-1 team leaving multiple good forwards exposed. NSH may have protected 5 D which is wild, though I can see it.

Seems one difference from Vegas is this time teams are trying to direct Seattle to taking a bad contract off their hands
 

burstnbloom

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Exec of the year there thinking Jordan eberle, a universally positive player at 3x6 is a better bet to clear cap than marginally better than replacement level cal clutterbuck any 1x $3.5. Baffling.

protecting Matt Martin. Lol
 

Salem's Lot

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So Seattle could theoretically select someone that is going to be a UFA for negotiation rights, then let the go UFA if they can’t come to terms by 7/28?
 

burstnbloom

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So Seattle could theoretically select someone that is going to be a UFA for negotiation rights, then let the go UFA if they can’t come to terms by 7/28?
they could but there doesn’t seem like a lot of incentive for them to do that. Some really puzzling decisions here. Tampa going 4-4-1 means palat and gourde are exposed. Seattle wasn’t taking Mac. I have to imagine they are going to send an asset to Seattle to encourage them to take Johnson. They need desperately to shed cap but gourde might be the best player available to Seattle.
 

cshea

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They have an exclusive window to negotiate with RFA’s and UFA’s now. If they sign a player it counts as their selection for that team. So if they signed Hall that’s be their Boston pick.
 

RedOctober3829

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they could but there doesn’t seem like a lot of incentive for them to do that. Some really puzzling decisions here. Tampa going 4-4-1 means palat and gourde are exposed. Seattle wasn’t taking Mac. I have to imagine they are going to send an asset to Seattle to encourage them to take Johnson. They need desperately to shed cap but gourde might be the best player available to Seattle.
Palat, Gourde, Johnson, and Killorn all are unprotected
 

Ferm Sheller

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I read that the draft is going to be televised, which I find odd. Is Betman just going to keep saying, "With the Xth pick in the draft, the Seattle Kraken select XXX YYY of [Some Team]. The Seattle Kraken are now on the clock"?

But seriously, how do they make a draft like this interesting/suspenseful? I didn't watch the Vegas one (if it was even televised, I'm not sure).

EDIT: Oh, I see. They do the actual draft in advance and the televised draft is just some made for tv production to announce the picks.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1BxBXVv3RQ
 
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burstnbloom

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Palat, Gourde, Johnson, and Killorn all are unprotected
ya I think Killorn and Johnson are the players they absolutely want taken and there is no chance. Palat and gourde are both really good but I think gourde is the no brainer. Very good two way C with 4 years of control instead of just 1.
 

burstnbloom

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They really, really like their D depth and I don’t blame them.
Sure but I don’t think there is a chance in hell an analytically minded front office chooses a 32 yo D with 5 years at almost $7m per year due to him. McDonagh is good but won’t be whenever Seattle is good. Seems very un Tampa which makes me believe they are moving another asset to get rid of Johnson.
 

BostonFanInCanesLand

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Price may have to miss a lot of the season with a hip injury so he probably is staying in Montreal

View: https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1416873092413001729?s=21
This telenovella is gripping. Such drama. Such intrigue. So many twists and turns.

and while 538 does not provide a needle for the expansion draft they do suggest the following:

If the Kraken end up with a glut of right defensemen, they could have a trade partner in the Bruins. One of Boston’s forwards, Jake DeBrusk, could use a change of scenery but is likely too valuable to leave unprotected. Perhaps the Kraken will trade one of the many right defenders they’re likely to get for a left-winger.
.
Edit: article written by Marisa Ingemi (from the Hub area but moving to Seattle to cover the Kraken).
 

cshea

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ya I think Killorn and Johnson are the players they absolutely want taken and there is no chance. Palat and gourde are both really good but I think gourde is the no brainer. Very good two way C with 4 years of control instead of just 1.
I think Seattle should play hardball with Tampa. Gourde, Killorn and Palat are good players and I'd be perfectly happy to pick either for free. However, Tampa is over the barrel here. They need to clear a significant amount of money. If I'm Ron Francis and Seattle I call up Tampa and tell them I'm taking Cal Foote (or whatever ELC/league minimum guy) and if Tampa wants me to take real money back Tampa's gotta juice the pot.

It just cost the Islanders two 2nds and a conditional 3rd to move Andrew Ladd's remaining 2 years at $4.3 million AAV off their books. None of the Tampa players are as bad a contract as Ladd is, but that's the price for moving a $4.3 million salary, I'd try to squeeze Tampa for an extra asset or two out of this.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Seems like the Knights made a "big splash" in their draft by taking Marc-Andre Fleury with the second-to-last pick. Maybe the Kraken (and the NHL) are looking to do the same thing -- a big name goalie in Price to generate some buzz. Jake Allen's the bigger prize, but he's not "newsworthy".
 

cshea

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Vegas got a 2nd round pick to take Fleury and he was only signed for 2-years at $5.75 million AAV when they selected him. Price has 5-years left at $10.5 million AAV with whispers of injury. He's had a sub .910 save percentage in 3 of the last 4 years.

I think Seattle would be insane to take him and it'd be absolute gift to Montreal (fan tears aside). Seattle is rumored to be taking and signing Chris Driedger from Florida. If I'm them, I'd take Ben Bishop as my 2nd goalie. $4.9 million AAV for 2 more years and while he's had injury issues he's played better than Price in recent years. They could have a Driedger/Bishop tandem for less money than Price.
 

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^ Agreed. I posited about the fan meltdown in Montreal if the guy with "Mystical Playoff Powers" (TM registered) was let go but as PSK and cshea both note it would be a huge favor to Montreal.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Vegas got a 2nd round pick to take Fleury and he was only signed for 2-years at $5.75 million AAV when they selected him. Price has 5-years left at $10.5 million AAV with whispers of injury. He's had a sub .910 save percentage in 3 of the last 4 years.

I think Seattle would be insane to take him and it'd be absolute gift to Montreal (fan tears aside). Seattle is rumored to be taking and signing Chris Driedger from Florida. If I'm them, I'd take Ben Bishop as my 2nd goalie. $4.9 million AAV for 2 more years and while he's had injury issues he's played better than Price in recent years. They could have a Driedger/Bishop tandem for less money than Price.
Yes, they'd be foolish to take him for contract/on-ice reasons, but why don't they just deny interest? What's to gain by looking into medicals if they weren't at least considering it?
 

kenneycb

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It's their job to do the due diligence on all players available, doubly so if it's a big name goalie you can (or could previously) build your team around. That and making other teams squirm if they want to get a goalie off their books. They gain nothing by denying interest. They may gain something by indicating it.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Well, in any event, let's just get this over with so that we know which Dman the Bs lose and so that the Bs (and other teams) can move on to finalizing their roster.
 

burstnbloom

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I know its the wrong move. I know it. But I want them to take Price SO BADLY. I feel like the city of Montreal will be swallowed up into the earth's crust if that happens. It would be hilarious.

I think the smarter play would be for Seattle to call up Benning and tell him they will take Holtby's money off their cap for a 2nd and a 4th and go with Dreidger/Holtby.
 

cshea

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The Kraken need to submit their team by 10:00am. The reveal show is tonight at 8:00pn on ESPN2. I'm sure most everything will leak out prior to then though.

I'm fascinated to see what happens with Price. I think it'd be a mistake to pick him but all reports are it's a serious possibility. The latest reporting was that Seattle would take an 11th hour run at Montreal to see what Montreal would be willing to give up in to keep Seattle from taking Price. It sounds like Montreal was going to stand firm and then it's all in Seattle's hands.

Also, Seravelli was reporting that Seattle had been talking to teams about picking players and then flipping them elsewhere.

View: https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1417821768891445251?s=20
 

RedOctober3829

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The Kraken need to submit their team by 10:00am. The reveal show is tonight at 8:00pn on ESPN2. I'm sure most everything will leak out prior to then though.

I'm fascinated to see what happens with Price. I think it'd be a mistake to pick him but all reports are it's a serious possibility. The latest reporting was that Seattle would take an 11th hour run at Montreal to see what Montreal would be willing to give up in to keep Seattle from taking Price. It sounds like Montreal was going to stand firm and then it's all in Seattle's hands.

Also, Seravelli was reporting that Seattle had been talking to teams about picking players and then flipping them elsewhere.

View: https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1417821768891445251?s=20
8 pm tonight should be fascinating as the trades will be announced too, right?
 

Ale Xander

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Can someone explain to me why UDFA’s are included in the expansion draft? Kraken would have access to them like everyone else on the 28th. Why advantage teams like the Caps who can basically protect an extra player because no danger of Ovech being picked because he won’t sign with them?
Granted, I’m not the brightest bulb, but I don’t get this.
 

Salem's Lot

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Can someone explain to me why UDFA’s are included in the expansion draft? Kraken would have access to them like everyone else on the 28th. Why advantage teams like the Caps who can basically protect an extra player because no danger of Ovech being picked because he won’t sign with them?
Granted, I’m not the brightest bulb, but I don’t get this.
It’s because the clubs do not own the rights to players that are UFA after 20-21 league year ended, therefore they cannot protect them because there are no rights to protect.
 

Ale Xander

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Caps had option to “protect” Ovech. But that’s my question. Team doesn’t “own” their rights. Why are the Kraken allowed to “pick” them? They should be forced to pick someone the other team has rights to.
 
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cshea

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It’s because the clubs do not own the rights to players that are UFA after 20-21 league year ended, therefore they cannot protect them because there are no rights to protect.
That's not really true. Teams hold the exclusive rights until the opening of free agency on 7/28. Teams could protect a UFA if they wanted to.
 

TFP

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Why are the Kraken allowed to “pick” them?
They don't "pick" them. They sign them as a UFA during their exclusive signing window (only they and the former team can talk to the UFA) and then aren't allowed to pick from that player's former team during the draft.
 

Ale Xander

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They don't "pick" them. They sign them as a UFA during their exclusive signing window (only they and the former team can talk to the UFA) and then aren't allowed to pick from that player's former team during the draft.
Thanks, that helps. I guess I have a different definition of unrestricted than the NHL.
 

Salem's Lot

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Thanks, that helps. I guess I have a different definition of unrestricted than the NHL.
If Seattle did pick a UFA and they didn’t want to sign there, they would be free to sign with any other team on 7/28. All Seattle would be drafting is that 7 day negotiating window that the player would have with the team that they finished 20-21 with anyway.