Vegas holds the cards
Expansion draft creating an unpredictable NHL off-season
The first expansion draft in the salary-cap era has even the most seasoned NHL general managers unsure of what is going to happen during the next few weeks.
“You expect the unexpected,” Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello said.
The most unpredictable and fascinating off-season in more than a decade has arrived.
Uncertainty runs from the Vegas Golden Knights’ expansion draft next week through the New Jersey Devils’ decision with the top pick in the entry draft to a free agent market that hinges significantly on how much the salary cap goes up – if at all.
Trades could be coming fast and furious as Vegas GM George McPhee stockpiles assets in exchange for agreeing to select or not select players in the June 21 expansion draft.
Teams have to decide who to protect – seven forwards, three defenceman and a goaltender or eight skaters at any position and a goaltender – and there should be some roster juggling around the league before protected lists must be submitted Saturday afternoon.
“I expect something to transpire,” Lamoriello said. “When there are decisions that have to be made, you’d rather make them proactive rather than reactive.”
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins have to make a quick decision with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury ahead of the expansion draft because they can’t afford to lose 23-year-old Matt Murray.
Fleury has a no-movement clause in his contract so he must agree to waive it to be traded or exposed in the expansion draft.
Once all 30 protected lists are revealed on Sunday, Vegas has a 72-hour window to negotiate with any unprotected restricted or unrestricted free agents and make its selections, which will be announced June 21.
Some things to watch this offseason:
NICO OR NOLAN
With the top pick, the Devils are expected to decide between centres Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, of the Halifax Mooseheads, or trade down. There’s no franchise-changing star in this draft like Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, and Patrick’s injury-plagued season made this a debate to watch at the draft that begins June 23 in Chicago.
CONTRACT WATCH
Beyond this year’s thin crop of unrestricted free agents, led by defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk and wingers Patrick Eaves and Thomas Vanek, teams can begin re-upping potential 2018 free agents on July 1. That means the focus is on the New York Islanders with John Tavares, the Montreal Canadiens with Carey Price and the Oilers with McDavid.
CAPPED-OUT BLACKHAWKS
Even if Chicago gets the much-rumoured deal done to let Vegas take defenceman Trevor van Riemsdyk to shed the contract of centre Marcus Kruger, the Blackhawks have to do some more manoeuvring to get under the cap. That could mean the loss of a player perhaps even as good as Niklas Hjalmarsson.