Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
Did a quick exercise to run through protection lists and, not worrying about the NMC/NTC issue, came up with the following scenario.
Your Las Vegas Aces!
Pouilot (EDM) - Nash (NYR) - Read (PHI)
Rousell (DAL) - Plekanec (MTL) - Stafford (WPG)
Clutterbuck (NYI) - Smith (OTT) - Abdelkader (DET)
Hagelin (PIT) - Bouma (CGY) - Burrows (VAN)
Martinsen (COL) - Malone (CAR) - Parenteau (TOR)
Smith (NAS) - Chipchura (PHX) - Hartman (CHI)
Bouwmeester (STL), Kulikov (FLA)
McQuaid (BOS), Pysyk (BUF)
McNabb (LA), Dumba (MIN)
Merrill (NJD), Polak (SJS)
Weber (WAS)
Bobrovsky (CBJ), Anderson (ANA)
It will be interesting to see how the movement clause stuff works out. There will definitely be some talent available and the Vegas team is going to be tough out of the gate.
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Rick Nash would be an interesting question for NYR, as his contract ends in 2018. I suppose it's possible he's left unprotected, but I doubt an expansion team wants to pay $8.2M in real money for one year of service.
Other notable 2018 UFA's (ie. 1 year left on contracts; their teams are less likely to protect them):
Price, Tavares, Vlasic, Carlson - almost certainly extended before then
Stastny - NTC, 7.5M real money; age 31
Sedins (NMC, but if that doesn't turn out to be relevant it would be funny to see them split up (though that might prompt retirement). I wonder how YVR fans feel about having to use two spots to protect 36 year olds?)
Koivu - NMC; 9.18M real money and age 35 so no way he's picked...just though his contract structure was interesting
E Kane - 6M real money and 5.25 cap hit. Age 25 at the time. If he's not extended, then he's likely not worth protecting...but then he is a likely example of a guy to be traded...though not necessarily out of fear of losing him in the expansion draft (hard to say if Vegas would want him based on pending UFA and character questions), but as a guarantee to recoup assets. His biggest asset to an expansion team might be to trade at the deadline for more assets.
Lupul - Age 33, but only 3.75M in real money vs. 5.25 cap hit. If he's still in Toronto, it's possible they have more young assets than protection slots though.
Neal - Age 29; likely to be exposed, hard to say if he'd be picked.
Jack Johnson - Age 30
JVR - Age 27 - certainly extended or traded before being exposed or even just protected without a new contract.
Hornqvist - Age 30
Fowler - Age 25
Sbisa - Age 27
Backlund - Age 28
Turris - Age 27 (sneaky young...hard to believe he's only 26 right now)
Eller - Age 27; 4.75M real money vs 3.5AAV
Bailey - Age 27; 4M real vs 3.3AAV
Atkinson - Age 28; 4.5 real vs 3.5
Martin Jones - age 28
Stajan - Age 33; contract is 2.5M real money + 0.5k signing. I don't imagine it's enough to make him attractive, but perhaps there is someway the Flames can pay the 0.5 bonus if it means he's picked?
Bouma - Age 28
Jimmy Hayes - Age 27
Thomas Hickey - Age 28; 3.1M real vs. 2.2 AAV
Calvert - Age 27; 2.9real vs 2.2
Not saying these guys are necessarily selected by an expansion team, but it's more likely that it moves the extension/trade deadline up for them for teams who don't want to risk losing them for nothing (or potentially wasting a protection spot on them).
Several other guys in their 30's who aren't really worth worrying about, since it's unlikely Vegas would use a pick on them for just one year of guaranteed service.