The Seattle Kraken will debut in the NHL in the 2021-22 season, and to build on their roster, the League’s 32nd team will take part in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21. The Kraken will have to select one player per team, from among those left unprotected. Each team, with the exception of the Vegas Golden Knights who are exempt from this process, can protect seven forwards, three defenders and one goalie, or eight skaters, regardless of their position, and one goalie. The full rules of the expansion draft can be found here.
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By July 17, the deadline for teams to submit their protection list, LNH.com will draw up a portrait of the situation of each of the teams in the League in relation to the players they will have to protect and the choices that they will have to do. Today, the New York Islanders.
ON THE ROAD TOWARDS EXPANSION : Predators | Jets | Blues | Rangers
Players must be protected : No
Players to protect without hesitation : Mathew Barzal (A), Anders Lee (A), Ryan Pulock (D), Semyon Varlamov (G)
Players who could complete the list : Brock Nelson (A), Andrew Ladd (A), Jordan Eberle (A), Josh Bailey (A), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (A), Cal Clutterbuck (A), Leo Komarov (A), Matt Martin (A), Michael Dal Colle (A), Kieffer Bellows (A), Anthony Beauvillier (A), Nick Leddy (D), Thomas Hickey (D), Scott Mayfield (D), Adam Pelech (D)
If the choices are needed on defense and in net for the Islanders, the decisions of general manager Lou Lamoriello regarding his forwards will command attention, especially in the context where New York has little room to maneuver under the salary cap. and several important players to contract during the offseason.
Forwards Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee are sure to have their names put on New York’s protection list, but could Lamoriello be tempted to expose another of his big earners in attack? Taken by the throat by the salary cap that will remain fixed, the Islanders must contract forward Anthony Beauvillier, defenseman Adam Pelech and goaltender Ilya Sorokin, three important elements of the future of the team that could become free agents with compensation on July 28.
No doubt Lamoriello would like the Kraken to come and withdraw a few million dollars from his books during the Expansion Draft. It would be surprising if the Islanders would take the risk of slashing their center line by exposing Brock Nelson or Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but what about Jordan Eberle or even Josh Bailey? The two are 31 years old and are still under contract for three more seasons at a salary of $ 5.5 million and $ 5 million, respectively.
The availability of an Eberle or Bailey would certainly give the Kraken some thought, while the emergence of Oliver Wahlstrom (21), who collected 21 points, including 12 goals, in 44 games in his first full season in the NHL, could lessen the impact of such a departure.
Video: NYI @ PIT, # 5: Eberle scores 2-2 on his second shot
By taking this avenue, Lamoriello could keep a place of protection for a young player like Kieffer Bellows and thus prevent Seattle from robbing him of a hope with potential. At 23, the latter still hasn’t established himself full-time in the NHL, but New York is used to being patient with its prospects, and Bellows has shown great things in the American Hockey League (AHL ). Or, New York could decide to protect one of the members of its Identity Line, this trio of Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas that coach Barry Trotz is particularly fond of because he represents the identity of the Islanders through his play and intensity on the ice. Martin and Clutterbuck are still under contract, while Cizikas could become a free agent without compensation.
All of these scenarios will need to be carefully considered by the Islanders, who might as well decide to settle their situation under the salary cap by making a transaction, so as not to lose one of their big employees for nothing in return.
On defense, the puzzle is much less complex, as Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield and Pelech should be Lamoriello’s choices. The three are 28 or younger and were among the four most used players by Trotz during the team’s journey to the Stanley Cup semi-finals this season. If the Kraken went for a defender in New York, Nick Leddy could be their choice. After two more modest offensive seasons, the 30-year-old has just amassed 31 points (two goals, 29 assists) in 56 games. With Noah Dobson quietly asserting himself on the blue line, Lamoriello would certainly not say no to letting go of Leddy and his $ 5.5 million salary for one more season.
In net, there is no doubt that Semyon Varlamov will be protected. This will allow the Islanders to bet on two excellent goalkeepers next season, a typical element of the Trotz teams.
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