Quote:
Originally Posted by getbak
They won't have the expansion draft after the entry draft because all the teams need to know what they're working with at the Draft.
In the past, there was a roster freeze a couple of days before the expansion draft where every team had to submit their list of available players. Then, the expansion team(s) had a chance to negotiate any side deals with the teams (if those are allowed this time around). Then, the expansion draft itself took place a day or two before the entry draft, at which time, the roster freeze was lifted and teams were able to make whatever trades they wanted.
If the expansion draft isn't held until after the entry draft, the expansion team(s) won't have any assets to work with at the draft.
Since the expansion draft is for filling the rosters for the 2017-18 season, it doesn't make any sense to have the rules based on the players' contracts for 2016-17. The player's contract status on July 1, 2017 should be the final determinant. If he has a NMC that will be in effect on July 1, 2017, he should be automatically protected. Otherwise, not.
Obviously, the league could impose whatever wacky rules it decides to use, but it is something that the teams will have to agree to, and I can't see the teams agreeing to be beholden to a contract that expires in less than a week.
In previous expansions, we did see pending UFAs taken in the expansion draft, but that's because you received compensatory draft picks if you lost a player from a UFA signing (and the UFA age was a lot higher then). That doesn't happen anymore, so we won't see teams picking pending UFAs in the expansion draft this time around.
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The league has already said that current member clubs would have a draft, a free agent period, and a trade deadline prior to the expansion draft. To comply with that schedule, and get the Las Vegas team playing ASAP, an announcement of expansion should take place prior to this draft. That will mean the expansion draft will take place just after the completion of the 2016-17 playoffs and prior to the prospects draft. This will allow the expansion team to participate in the draft, have assets to trade, and then take advantage of free agency to improve the team. This will likely be the best expansion team ever iced because of the league's approach to the process.