Panthers build their hand for Las Vegas
In the NHL’s last expansion draft in 2000, the Florida Panthers lost 37-year-old goalieMikeVernon to the fledgling Minnesota Wild with the third pick.
The Panthers will most likely leave 37-year-old goalie Roberto Luongo unprotected when they turn in their expansion list this weekend. But it’s unlikely the Las Vegas Golden Knights will pick him, especially after two injuryplagued seasons and with Luongo signed through 2022, when he will be 43.
Also, Penguins two-time All-Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, 32, will be available for the Knights to snatch and he’s a much more attractive option.
That said, one can bet that the Panthers will lose a significant player when Las Vegas reveals its roster during the televised NHL Awards show at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Panthers can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goalie. It’s anticipated that Florida will pick the first option.
They must hand in their protected players list by 5 p.m. today. Every team’s list mustbemadepublic shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday.
Las Vegas then must select one player from each team in the league.
Teams do not have to protect players with three or fewer years of pro experience. For the Panthers, that includes defenseman Mike Matheson, center Denis Malgin and up-and-coming defensemen IanMcCoshen, Linus Hultstrom and Michael Downing.
However, teams must give the Knights a clear shot at least two forwards, one defenseman and a goalie who are under contract for 2017-18. The forwards and defenseman have to have played at least 40 games last season or a combined 70 games in the previous two seasons.
Players with no-move clauses in their contracts must be protected unless they agree to waive the clause. Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle wasn’t asked towaive his clause.
Aaron Ekblad, 21, is the face of the franchise and a no-brainer to protect. Sothe odd defenseman out could be either Alex Petrovic or Mark Pysyk, both 25, with veteran defenseman Jason Demers also a distinct possibility. Both Petrovic and Pysyk are restricted free agents. Once the lists become public, the Knights will have a 72-hour window to negotiate and sign restricted or unrestricted free agents. Anyone signed that way counts as the team’s lost player.
New Panthers coach Bob Boughner has familiarity with both Petrovic and Pysyk, having coached them to a gold medal on Canada’s under-18 team in the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Pysyk is coming off a solid first season with Florida andwas arguably the team’s best defensive defenseman as he led his blueline brethren with a 0 plus-minus.
Petrovic missed 33 games with a broken ankle, but still led the teamwith 78 penalty minutes, and is considered the Panthers’ most physical player now that Shawn Thornton has retired.
Demers, 29, is signed through 2021 at $4.5 million per season, a substantial salary cap hit. Despite his stellar penalty-killing skills and career-high 9 goals, Demers is not a physical player and notched aminus-14.
Although Las Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said he leaves all personnel decisions to general manager GeorgeMcPhee, itwould be naive to believe that the former Panthers coach won’t have a say over the Knights’ picks.
It’s no secret that Gallant was a Petrovic fan, so that could play into the Panthers’ decision on which players to protect.
The Panthers won’t protect impending free agents such as top-line forward Jaromir Jagr, extra defenseman Jakub Kindl or trade deadline pickup Thomas Vanek.
Panthers General ManagerDaleTallon has repeatedly said he won’t finalize any decision or deal with Jagr until the Knights make their selections.
Although Jagr owns a house in Las Vegas and would be a boon for attendance, itwould be unfathomable for the Knights to roll the dice on a 45-year-old player who could retire at any moment. The Panthers have shown no interest in re-signing Kindl or Vanek.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and Nick Bjugstad are the likeliest forwards to be protected.
That would leave one of three veterans to be potential Knights: 34-year-old left wing Jussi Jokinen, coming off a 32-point dropoff with one year left on a $4 million deal; 36-year-old captain DerekMacKenzie, a fourthline center and the team’s best penalty killer with two years left on an affordable $2.75 million deal; or Colton Sceviour, 28, a solid penalty killer who has averaged 24 points over his last three seasons.
The Panthers will most assuredly protect goalie James Reimer, 29, the heir apparent toLuongo. Reimer is coming off an 18-win season, his best since 2012-13, and is scheduled to earn $3.4 million for the next four seasons.
hfialkov@sun-sentinel.com, Twitter @hfialkov