Just creating what I think an expansion team would like look if they had a draft next year. Using current rosters since it would be impossible to try and predict every teams moves this year.
I will assume though that some teams will make trades with the expansion team to protect certain players. I will also assume most teams will sign lower end players to fill out the necessary requirements. I'm going to assume most UFAs are left unprotected but what I would consider stars will be protected in the exception of Stamkos as I expect him to do what Landeskog did and say he won't sign with any team but Tampa.
Seattle Expansion Draft Rules:
https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-expansion-draft-rules/
This team would ideally build through the Entry Draft but I would expect they could surprise a bit.
Anaheim Ducks
Protected List: Vatrano, Strome, Zegras, Terry, Killorn, Lundstrom, McTavish, Gudas, Fowler, Drysdale, Gibson
Pick: Jones
Big body forward with some upside. Still young enough to develop into a decent middle sixer.
Arizona Coyotes
Protected List: Keller, Hayton, Schmaltz, Crouse, Bjugstad, McBain, Macelli, Durzi, Moser, Valimaki, Vejmalka
Pick: Soderstrom
A young former high first round pick. Soderstrom could develop into a decent top 4 option.
Boston Bruins
Protected List: Pastrnak, Zacha, Marchand, Coyle, Geekie, Boqvist, Frederic, Lindholm, McAvoy, Carlo, Swayman
Pick: Ullmark
I'm sure if there was a situation where this arose that Boston would trade Ullmark for a lesser goalie to retain some value. That said he would be a great first option as a starter for an expansion team.
Buffalo Sabres
Protected List: Skinner, Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Greenway, Krebs, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Luukonen
Pick: Jokiharju
I think Jokiharju has some good upside and paired with a good partner could really excel.
Calgary Flames
Protected List: Dube, Huberdeau, Kadri, Mangiapane, Coleman, Sharangovich, Ruzicka, Andersson, Kylington, Weegar, Markstrom
Pick: Duehr
Not much for options from Calgary as I'm assuming their current UFAs either resign with Calgary or test the market. Duehr would be a youngish energy forward that could fill out the fourth line.
Carolina Hurricanes
Protected List: Bunting, Aho, Svechnikov, Staal, Jarvis, Necas, Kotkaniemi, Orlov, Burns, Slavin, Kotchetkov
Pick: Drury
Young centre with some upside. Was really tempted to take Jesper Fast but the age and upside of Drury is too much to pass up.
Chicago Blackhawks
Protected List: Raddysh, Hall, Athanasiou, Kurashev, Entwistle, Donato, Reichel, Jones, Murphy, they have a free defense spot, Soderblom (if he qualifies)
Pick: Katchouk
Not many options from a depleted Chicago roster. Take Katchouk as another cheap depth forward.
Colorado Avalanche
Protected List: MacKinnon, Rantenan, Landeskog, Lehkonen, Colton, Nichushkin, Wood, Byram, Girard, Makar, Georgiev
Pick: Johansen
Johansen is my pick here. He's good at faceoffs, decent defensively and at his cap hit provides pretty good value.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Protected List: Gaudreau, Jenner, Laine, Texier, Johnson, Marchenko, Sillinger, Provorov, Werenski, Severson, Tarasov
Pick: Peeke
I was tempted by the upside of Boqvist but the fact he has had injury issues his whole career really made me reconsider. Peeke is big, physical and blocks shots. He could use some work but paired with a responsible partner could really help him. He's also logged a bunch of minutes for Columbus, average over 21min last two seasons.
Dallas Stars
Protected List: Benn, Seguin, Robertson, Hintz, Heiskenen, Suter, Lindell, Lundqvist, Oettinger
Pick: Dellandrea
I have Dallas making a deal in order for Expansion Team to not select Harley. Dallas send Expansion Team a 2024 2nd round pick in order to not select Harley. Expansion Team then selects Dellandrea who could develop into a nice middle six player.
Detroit Red Wings
Protected List: Rasmussen, Larkin, Debrincat, Copp, Compher, Raymond, Berggren, Seider, Holl, Walman, Husso
Pick: Maatta
Detroit makes a deal to protect Kostin. Wings send a 2025 6th round pick to protect Kostin. Maatta has been a very steady defender and would be a good partner for some of the young D on this team. He could also provide a little bit of extra draft capital at the deadline if they wanted to go that route.
Edmonton Oilers
Protected List: McDavid, Draisatl, Kane, Hyman, McLeod, Holloway, Nugent-Hopkins, Nurse, Ekholm, Bouchard, Skinner
Pick: Campbell
After another disappointing season in net, Edmonton decides to pay to move Campbell. Oilers send a 2024 1st round pick, a 2026 2nd round pick and Petrov to pick Campbell. This also protects Broberg as he would likely be left exposed.
Florida Panthers
Protected List: Barkov, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, Bennett, Reinhart, Luostarainen, Lundell, Ekblad, Forsling, Carlsson, Bobrovsky (I'm assuming Bob doesn't waive what is a full NMC until July 1)
Pick: Mahura
Florida makes a trade to protect Knight and Rodrigues. Florida trades 2025 2nd and 2026 2nd for Expansion Team to not select Knight or Rodrigues. Mahura is a decent depth defender who has been showing consistent improvement.
Los Angeles Kings
Protected List: Kempe, Kopitar, Fiala, Dubois, Danault, Byfield, Kaliyev, Doughty, Gavrikov, Anderson, could be any goalie, as all of theirs are UFAs and not really worth protecting
Pick: Lizotte
Picked Lizotte to be a decent fourth line centre. Has good face-off numbers and is a decent bottom 6 player.
Minnesota Wild
Protected List: Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, Boldy, Johansson, Gaudreau, Hartman, Dewar, Spurgeon, Middleton, Brodin, Gustavsson
Pick: Addison
Expansion Team picks Addison who has shown he can be an offensive producer at the NHL level. He is young and still has time to develop his defensive game.
Montreal Canadiens
Protected List: Caufield, Suzuki, Dach, Anderson, Newhook, Harvey-Pinard, Slafkovsky, Guhle, Barron, Harris, Montebeault
Pick: Ylonen
Montreal makes a deal to protect Matheson and Savard. Habs send the earliest of the two 2nds owned in 2025. Expansion Team then takes Ylonen, young forward with upside.
Nashville Predators
Protected List: O'Reilly, Forsberg, Novak, Glass, Tomasino, Parsinnen, Scissons, Josi, McDonagh, Fabbro, Saros
Pick: Lauzon
Nashville makes a deal to protect Schenn and Carrier. They send the earliest of their 3rd round picks in 2024 to protect Schenn and Carrier.
New Jersey Devils
Protected List: Palat, Hughes, Hischer, Bratt, McLeod, Meier, Marino, Hamilton, Siegenthaler, Vanecek
Pick: Bahl
Bahl is young and has developed into a decent player as he showed last season. I think he could be a pillar for this defense in the future.
New York Islanders
Protected List: Lee, Barzal, Horvat, Nelson, Pulock, Dobson, Pelech, Mayfield, Sorokin
Pick: Pageau
Islanders make a deal with Expansion Team to protect Romanov. They just traded #13th overall pick in 2022 for him. New York sends a 2024 2nd round pick and Bolduc in order to not select Romanov. Pageau provides some really good defensive play and wins alot of faceoffs.
New York Rangers
Protected List: Panarin, Zibanejad, Kakko, Lafreniere, Trocheck, Kreider, Chytil, Fox, Miller, Schneider, Shesterkin
Pick: Goodrow
New York Rangers make a deal for Expansion Team to take Goodrow. They send Garand to Expansion Team as a sweetener. Goodrow will be a good leader for the first few years of Expansion Team as a proven winner.
Ottawa Senators
Protected List: Tkachuk, Stutzle, Giroux, Norris, Pinto, Batherson, Kastelic, Chychrun, Chabot, Sanderson, Korpisalo
Pick: Joseph
Ottawa makes a deal with Expansion Team to protect Zub and take Joseph. Ottawa sends Bernard-Docker and Ostapchuk to protect Zub and take Joseph.
Philadelphia Flyers
Protected List: Farabee, Couturier, Frost, Laughton, Cates, Tippet, Konecny, York, Sanheim, Zamula, Hart
Pick: Hathaway
Hathaway is another veteran guy that could help lead the new club. His good defensive and physical play would benefit Expansion Team.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Protected List: Crosby, Malkin, Smith, Rust, Rakell, Acciari, Guentzel, Karlsson, Letang, Graves, Jarry
Pick: Pettersson
I chose Pettersson over the younger POJ and Smith since I've already drafted a bunch of young D men. I figured picking a steady veteran who isn't old would be the best bet.
San Jose Sharks
Protected List: Zadina, Couture, Hertl, Zetterlund, Duclair, Sturm, Kunin, Ferraro, Benning, Knyzhov, Kahkonen
Pick: Okhotiuk
Picking a defensive prospect from the Sharks.
St. Louis Blues
Protected List: Buchnevich, Schenn, Kyrou, Thomas, Leddy, Parayko, Faulk, Krug, Binnington
Pick: Hayes
Hayes is another veteran forward to help transition this new team. I picked him over Saad cause he plays centre, is cheaper and has less term.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Protected List: Kucherov, Point, Sheary, Cirelli, Paul, Jeannot, Hedman, Sergachev, Cernak, Vasilevskiy
Pick: Perbix
Perbix is young and just came off a nice rookie season. I think he could grow well with this team.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Protected List: Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, Jarnkrok, Kampf, Bertuzzi/ Domi (assuming one of them sign an extension in season), Reilly, Liljegren, McCabe, Samsonov
Pick: Woll
Woll will help provide good goaltender depth as he is young and has looked pretty good so far.
Vancouver Canucks
Protected List: Pettersson, Miller, Boeser, Kuzmenko, Mikheyev, Hoglander, Podkolzin, Hughes, Hronek, Soucy, Demko
Pick: Garland
Vancouver sends Expansion Team a 2024 4th Round Pick (earliest of the two they own), to take Garland in the draft. Garland can be a pesky player and could shine with an expanded roll.
Vegas Golden Knights
Protected List: Barbashev, Stone, Eichel, Stephenson, Roy, Carrier, Amadio, Theodore, Whitecloud, Pietrangelo, Thomson
Pick: Hill
From Vegas I take Hill. He may not have alot of games played but he has always put up good numbers and other than Vegas he's, been on bad teams.
Washington Capitals
Protected List: Ovechkin, Backstrom, Wilson, Kuznetsov, McMichael, Strome, Dowd, Carlson, Jensen, Fehervary, Kuemper
Pick: McMichael
Young forward who hasn't really had much opportunity in Washington for some reason. Hopefully if given a better chance he can blossom into what they thought they were drafting in the first round.
Winnipeg Jets
Protected List: Iafallo, Connor, Ehlers, Lowry, Kupari, Vilardi, Perfetti, Morrissey, Pionk, Samberg, Random Goalie
Pick: Appleton
Appleton is a good middle six forward who could hopefully excel given more opportunity on Expansion Team.
Notes:
- Taxi Squad is players and picks received for selecting certain players or protecting players from being picked.
- Injured Reserve are players I would trade but since they are all depth players I didn't bother for this.
- LTIR are players I traded after the Draft and below them are the returns for those players.
- I used the rules from the Seattle Expansion Draft.
- I had Seattle being exempt from the draft.
- This Expansion Draft would be held prior to the 2024 Entry Draft. I used a 2023-24 team for ease of making it. Players without contracts can't be selected and have to be created.
- I didn't bother trying to figure out contracts for players that are RFAs. I'm assuming most will be signed for near what they are getting this season.
Potential Trades:
Florida - Sergei Bobrovsky, 2026 1st Round Pick FLO <--> Jack Campbell
Bob's trade clause turns into a 16 team no trade list. Assuming the Expansion Team is not on there. Florida saves 5M a year in cap space. The first slides to 2027 if the conditions in the Giroux trade take effect. Florida gets a veteran back up for Knight who has the potential to rebound. This take happens after July 1. If Campbell doesn't work out they can buy out the last two years of his deal.
Tampa Bay - 2025 3rd Round Pick TBL <--> Josh Mahura
Cheap solid depth D option for Tampa.
Los Angeles - Koehn Ziemmer, 2025 2nd Round Pick, 2026 2nd Round Pick<--> Linus Ullmark 50% Retained, Boris Katchouk
After a disappointing goalie display, the Kings trade for a starter. They get Ullmark at 50% retention for two picks and a prospect.
Winnipeg - 2024 2nd Round Pick MTL <--> Calen Addison
Winnipeg gets an offensive minded right handed defenseman. I think he could excel if paired with a guy like Samberg.
Buffalo - Casey Mittelstadt <--> Adin Hill
Buffalo gets a Stanley Cup winning goalie to tandem with Levi and start their window of contention.
I don't think hill is elite or anything, but he would be an upgrade over upl and comrie. If we got two years out of him, I would be fine giving up mittelstadt for him. I think you will get some grumbles from other Sabres fans- goalies that are out of the elite category don't have crazy value, but I'm not a mittelstadt fan, he's gonna be due a contract, and theres 4 or 5 first round pick forward prospects coming in on elcs that would fill in just fine.
I don't think hill is elite or anything, but he would be an upgrade over upl and comrie. If we got two years out of him, I would be fine giving up mittelstadt for him. I think you will get some grumbles from other Sabres fans- goalies that are out of the elite category don't have crazy value, but I'm not a mittelstadt fan, he's gonna be due a contract, and theres 4 or 5 first round pick forward prospects coming in on elcs that would fill in just fine.
Kind of my thoughts on Mittelstadt when I picked him for the trade. Hill doesn't need to be elite, just good with Levi. Ideally both could be solid starters and provide a nice tandem.
Tampa would protect Perbix over Cernak due to Cap Hit
You really think so? Cernak is really good, I just wouldn't see them allowing him to go for free. I want to say he's their best defenceman behind Hedman. There definitely would be some tough decisions for alot of teams.
Not to be mean, but your Blues protected list is a horror show beyond belief. Leddy and Krug would NOT be protected. Good lord. You're gonna give me nightmares.
Not to be mean, but your Blues protected list is a horror show beyond belief. Leddy and Krug would NOT be protected. Good lord. You're gonna give me nightmares.
They have NTC, they have to be protected. Full NTC and NMC has to be protected unless they waive, it would be brutal for the Blues. At least in this scenario they can protect the most valuable forwards though. Losing Hayes wouldn't be that bad considering what they paid for him.
I don't know, Sammy has been a starter in the league for 4 years, Woll just coming into it. They are only a year apart in age. It would depend on how this season went for sure but for now I would take the proven starter over the "prospect".
I don't know, Sammy has been a starter in the league for 4 years, Woll just coming into it. They are only a year apart in age. It would depend on how this season went for sure but for now I would take the proven starter over the "prospect".
Yeah but Woll is an RFA at the end of the season comp to Sammy, who will be a UFA
I don't think hill is elite or anything, but he would be an upgrade over upl and comrie. If we got two years out of him, I would be fine giving up mittelstadt for him. I think you will get some grumbles from other Sabres fans- goalies that are out of the elite category don't have crazy value, but I'm not a mittelstadt fan, he's gonna be due a contract, and theres 4 or 5 first round pick forward prospects coming in on elcs that would fill in just fine.
This thinking is so black and white. It imagines you either have to give him a big contract or trade him for aidin Hill.
You could trade him for something better by himself or as part of a package.
Hill was traded to Vegas for a 4th round pick a year ago and played 27 games before a nice playoff run. He didn't even start every playoff game
This thinking is so black and white. It imagines you either have to give him a big contract or trade him for aidin Hill.
You could trade him for something better by himself or as part of a package.
Hill was traded to Vegas for a 4th round pick a year ago and played 27 games before a nice playoff run. He didn't even start every playoff game
Considering where he has played, he's been really solid anytime he's got a chance. Also just because San Jose sold low on him doesn't mean he's only worth a 4th. Mittelstadt doesn't have a ton of value either, he's only had one good season on a team that had a ton of offense. In all reality both players are probably valued around a second give or take a bit.
They have NTC, they have to be protected. Full NTC and NMC has to be protected unless they waive, it would be brutal for the Blues. At least in this scenario they can protect the most valuable forwards though. Losing Hayes wouldn't be that bad considering what they paid for him.
Nah, man. Only NMCs must be protected. You can leave NTCs unprotected.
I don't know, Sammy has been a starter in the league for 4 years, Woll just coming into it. They are only a year apart in age. It would depend on how this season went for sure but for now I would take the proven starter over the "prospect".
This is quite an impressive endeavour, and I like the team regardless of its level of success…I would watch.
But…
Woll would get protected, Samsonov is a Ufa and prolly wants 5m or more with term…my guess is he won’t be back and I actually think maybe he doesn’t make it past the deadline.
This is quite an impressive endeavour, and I like the team regardless of its level of success…I would watch.
But…
Woll would get protected, Samsonov is a Ufa and prolly wants 5m or more with term…my guess is he won’t be back and I actually think maybe he doesn’t make it past the deadline.
Who is the expansion team?
I did make a mistake on Samsonov, also possibly a couple more by misinterpreting some rules but it was fun.
Couldn't even imagine who would get a team, Salt Lake I think would be one of the better options.
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