[sureLoss]

Lots of info in this tsn piece

The NHL has not yet made a decision on whether teams will be allowed to trade players and/or picks to an expansion team in exchange for a guarantee to not select certain unprotected players. In 2000, the Sharks traded two players and four picks to the Wild and Blue Jackets to ensure Evgeni Nabokov would not be picked. The Sabres also traded Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Matt Davidson and two fifth-round picks to guarantee both Dominik Hasek and Martin Biron would be safe. Such trades would seem to go against the idea of icing the most competitive expansion roster possible, but they were allowed in each of the previous three drafts (1998-2000). Then again, it worked out pretty well for Nashville in 1998, acquiring Kimmo Timonen from Los Angeles for agreeing not select Garry Galley.

Last week’s potential expansion draft format revelation left more questions than answers. Do players entering the third year of their entry-level deal require protection? (Our understanding is yes.) Will players with no-move clauses be eligible to be picked? The NHL’s position on that is, yes, the CBA does not specifically mention those clauses protecting from an expansion draft. This still needs to be bargained with the NHLPA. Interestingly, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the New York Post on Sunday, “no matter where we go with no-moves, they would never be ‘exempt from the process.’ ” In other words, each player holding a ‘no-move clause will eat up one of 10 or 11 protected slots per team. That would hurt a team like Minnesota, for instance. The Wild would protect Ryan Suter or Jared Spurgeon anyway, but what about a guy like Jason Pominville? He will turn 35 in 2017. His protection could mean another valuable asset exposed.

We will see a lot of roster jockeying this summer with GMs preparing for an expansion draft. Players who will likely be unprotected will be traded. Free agents will be signed to two-year deals to pad rosters with exposable players. But will we also see certain players, particularly with no-movement clauses, bought out this summer to avoid expansion draft wrangling? Exactly 51 players with no-movement clauses have a contract for 2017-18, according to GeneralFanager.com. Columbus defenceman Fedor Tyutin is an interesting case. The Blue Jackets already couldn’t find a taker for him at last month’s trade deadline. Buying him out this June would save nearly $3 million in cash in the long haul, and prevent a no-move headache the following summer. Anaheim’s Kevin Bieksa, Minnesota’s Pominville, Columbus’ David Clarkson and even Winnipeg’s Toby Enstrom could generate similar questions this summer. And what about long-term injured players like New Jersey’s Ryane Clowe? Will the Devils need to protect him

One other big question: What will the NHLPA win from this expansion draft negotiation? It will be something. In exchange for going to the 3-on-3 All-Star tournament format, the NHLPA bargained for one five-day break in every team’s schedule from January through March next season. The NHLPA is concerned about teams honoring no-move clauses and protecting entry-level players. With the expansion draft, the NHLPA is believed to be interested in talking about the pension plan for players, as well as the entry draft age.