Expansion draft info

Forward Marcus Kruger has two more years on his deal with Chicago after this season, at a $3.08 million cap hit. Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images
Chicago Blackhawks

No team will likely have more players on the league's protected list than Chicago. Artem Anisimov, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford -- count them, eight! -- all have no-movement clauses.

Of course, it's pretty likely the Blackhawks would have protected those players anyway, right? The reality is that Chicago is in pretty good shape in terms of the expansion draft. And here's a nice break for the Blackhawks: Scoring winger Artemi Panarin is exempt from the expansion draft as a second-year pro, so Chicago doesn't even have to add him to its list. First-year blue-liners Gustav Forsling and Michal Kempny are also exempt, as are all the Blackhawks' rookie forwards.

The big question mark will be forward Marcus Kruger, who has two more years on his deal after this season at a $3.08 million cap hit. Kruger is a very good penalty killer, yes, but is he a guy Chicago would really protect? Because remember, they have to come up with at least four players to expose who meet the criteria, and Kruger would perhaps fit the bill as one of their two forwards. As it stands, I think Trevor van Riemsdyk will be the defenseman left exposed.

Regardless of the Kruger decision, the Blackhawks will need to sign and/or trade for another forward or two who meets the exposure criteria (or extend some of their own expiring unrestricted free agents, such as Andrew Desjardins and/or Jordin Tootoo). They can't currently fill the exposure requirements.

Same goes for goalies. Scott Darling doesn't qualify because he will be a UFA on July 1. So either Chicago signs him expressly for that purpose or goes elsewhere to find that exposable goalie. Lots of teams are in the same boat, in terms of not having four players who meet the criteria that they can exposure in the draft. And since there is plenty of time between now and June, and these aren't difficult moves, it's really just housekeeping for the Blackhawks.

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...real-canadiens-decisions-make-expansion-draft

If the 'hawks were smart, they'd extend Carruth on the cheap (since signing, and exposing Darling would mean he's likely taken), and extend Tootoo/Dejardins cheap. Then protect Panik (if they so desire), Hartman, and an also-ran FWD. That would mean the best the Knights could get is Kruger.

And according to the NHL, Carruth, if signed through 2018, qualifies:

One goaltender who is under contract in 2017-18 or will be a restricted free agent at the expiration of his current contract immediately prior to 2017-18. If the club elects to make a restricted free agent goaltender available in order to meet this requirement, that goaltender must have received his qualifying offer prior to the submission of the club's protected list.

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Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expansion-draft-rules/c-281010592

Has anyone seen a projected list of unprotected players?

Tater said:

Has anyone seen a projected list of unprotected players?

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I'm sure most of the players don't go around unprotected....

MassHavoc said:

I'm sure most of the players don't go around unprotected....

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Tater said:

Has anyone seen a projected list of unprotected players?

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It's easier to see who's protected:
Schmaltz, Motte, Panarin, DeBrincat, Hino, Johnson, Knott, Lundberg, Fortin, Kero, Baun, Forsling, Dahlstrom, Norell, Kempny, Valleau, Gustaffson, and Johansson are exempt.

Crawford, Keith, Seabrook, Hjammer, Kane, Toews, Anisimov, & Hossa *have* to be protected unless they waive their NMC.

Everyone else, save either 3FWDs who can protected, or 1D to be determined, are unprotected.

To be draft-compliant the 'hawks need 2FWDS exposed with either 40 games this year or 70 over the past 2 seasons who are signed through 2018, They need 1D with the same rules as a FWD, and 1G who is signed through 2018.

IMHO: the best situation for the 'hawks:

Any UFA, if selected by Vegas, is not 100% obligated to sign with them--as such guys like Campbell, Darling, Svedber, Rosie, etc. are a risk if unsigned by the 'hawks. If, say, Vegas selected an unsigned Campbell, and Campbell's wife vetoes Vegas and wants to stay in Chicago, Vegas just wasted a pick. The smart move will be for the 'hawks to leave almost all UFA's unsigned--with exceptions.

If the 'hawks sign Darling he's likley gone in expansion. To meed the goalie requirement, they should extend Carruth. They might lose Darling anyway but losing Darling in expansion doesn't help the cap.
They met the D requirement in TVR. They don't need to sign anyone to meet that requirement and signing Campbell would be detrimental. Best to wait until after expansion and resign if they desire.

Right now both Kruger and Hartman are exposed, and if the 'hawks want to protect Hartman, they have to sign someone else. and protect him. IMHO they should sign one of Dejardins or Tootoo for a short, cheap extension and expose them, then protect Hartman, and 2 other FWDS--Panik and whomever else they think. This should mean the best players exposed are Kruger and TVR. Anyone not protected is exposed, of course, but why would vegas risk picking, and losing, Darling or Campbell when they'd have a sure thing in Kruger--which would help them reach the salary floor they need to hit?

LordKOTL said:

It's easier to see who's protected:
Schmaltz, Motte, Panarin, DeBrincat, Hino, Johnson, Knott, Lundberg, Fortin, Kero, Baun, Forsling, Dahlstrom, Norell, Kempny, Valleau, Gustaffson, and Johansson are exempt.

Crawford, Keith, Seabrook, Hjammer, Kane, Toews, Anisimov, & Hossa *have* to be protected unless they waive their NMC.

Everyone else, save either 3FWDs who can protected, or 1D to be determined, are unprotected.

To be draft-compliant the 'hawks need 2FWDS exposed with either 40 games this year or 70 over the past 2 seasons who are signed through 2018, They need 1D with the same rules as a FWD, and 1G who is signed through 2018.

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Thanks. I should have been more specific, I meant league-wide.

LordKOTL said:

If the 'hawks were smart, they'd extend Carruth on the cheap (since signing, and exposing Darling would mean he's likely taken), and extend Tootoo/Dejardins cheap. Then protect Panik (if they so desire), Hartman, and an also-ran FWD. That would mean the best the Knights could get is Kruger.

And according to the NHL, Carruth, if signed through 2018, qualifies:


Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expansion-draft-rules/c-281010592

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They don't need to extend Carruth, just don't trade him. He's an RFA and the goalies can be RFAs.

The funny thing to me is how the Hawks gave zero currently eligible forwards since they're all either exempt, have nmc, or haven't played enough games on the last two year or this year. Only 10ish more games for Kruger to Qualify. Then it'll be the extend Hartman or Panik/desji/tootoo to have that other name or someone they trade for.

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ClydeLee said:

They don't need to extend Carruth, just don't trade him. He's an RFA and the goalies can be RFAs.

The funny thing to me is how the Hawks gave zero currently eligible forwards since they're all either exempt, have nmc, or haven't played enough games on the last two year or this year. Only 10ish more games for Kruger to Qualify. Then it'll be the extend Hartman or Panik/desji/tootoo to have that other name or someone they trade for.

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Hartman is through 2018, so if he meets the game requirement, he meets eligibility. Every other forward not automatically protected needs to be resigned.

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ClydeLee said:

They don't need to extend Carruth, just don't trade him. He's an RFA and the goalies can be RFAs.

The funny thing to me is how the Hawks gave zero currently eligible forwards since they're all either exempt, have nmc, or haven't played enough games on the last two year or this year. Only 10ish more games for Kruger to Qualify. Then it'll be the extend Hartman or Panik/desji/tootoo to have that other name or someone they trade for.

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I think it sounds like its going to be up to us to expose a required limit of players. That means signing Desjadins, and Caruth, and other guys and exposing them or facing sanctions.

Raskolnikov said:

I think it sounds like its going to be up to us to expose a required limit of players. That means signing Desjadins, and Caruth, and other guys and exposing them or facing sanctions.

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Basically. But really it shouldn't be difficult. The real question is who does Stan want to expose as the best option. IMHO it's Kruger, so he just has to make sure no one else is a better option--either because they're not a sure thing (i.e. unsigned) or protected.