Sportsnet: Expansion draft rules

[sureLoss]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/n...pansion-draft/

Among the previously unreleased details being distributed, as told to Sportsnet by multiple sources, is an experience criteria attached to the players each team leaves unprotected. A minimum of two forwards and one defenceman must be exposed who have played 40 games the previous season, or a total of 70 over the previous two.

There is also a requirement that the 40/70 players are under contract for the first expansion season.

This was likely what deputy commissioner Bill Daly was referencing when he said before the Stanley Cup final that teams unable to comply with the draft rules would face a “significant” penalty.

"It's a loss of draft picks and/or players," he said.

Each team will be allowed to protect seven forwards, three defencemen and one goalie – a breakdown that has remained constant since Daly first outlined the potential draft process to reporters in March.

Players holding no-movement clauses – including those modified by limited no-trades, such as Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury – count against the protection limit, provided that those contracts and clauses extend through the 2017-18 season.

However, players with no-movement clauses on deals that expire June 30, 2017 like Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman or Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek wouldn't have to be protected for a draft that is likely to be held a week or two beforehand.

Teams will also be permitted to ask players to waive their no-movement clauses for inclusion in the expansion draft.

There is expected to be a lot of roster jockeying in the leadup to the anticipated June 2017 draft as teams try to best position themselves for it. The rules dictate that any player traded away during that period can’t be reacquired until after Jan. 1 the following season.

Players with two years of professional experience or less will be exempt from the process. Determining who that covers is based on the definition included in the collective bargaining agreement – meaning that 10 games played in the NHL at age 18 or 19 counts as a season, as does any American Hockey League or NHL season for players older than that.

[sureLoss]

Above rules would mean Gillies would be entering his 2nd pro season this year.

[bigrangy]

stajan, colborne, wotherspoon exposed. boom

[Red Menace]

so does that mean Sam Bennett would be exempt?

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Above rules would mean Gillies would be entering his 2nd pro season this year.

Hmm, Flames will really need to understand what they think Gillies long term potential is and how quickly he'll reach it in fairly short order.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

so does that mean Sam Bennett would be exempt?

We'd have to protect him no? He will have played two full pro seasons by that point.

[Red Menace]

2 years or less are exempt.....no?

[Vinny01]

Since Gillies is entering his second year they don't have to protect him. Fleury or Murray has to get dealt this summer or next season or Murray is playing in Vegas.

Toronto and Calgary are going to have no problems getting goalies this summer and there is going to be a lot of wheeling and dealing league wide

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

so does that mean Sam Bennett would be exempt?

No. He played more than 10 games last season including the playoffs, so that counts as his first year of experience. Next season will be his third.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

2 years or less are exempt.....no?

Is Bennett entering his third year since he played 12 games in 14-15? 3rd year of his contract but not sure about these criteria?

[Red Menace]

post season games count I guess? is that confirmed?

[sureLoss]

After the upcoming season Bennett will have 3 years pro experience and will need to be protected

[Vinny01]

Flames burned a year of Gillies deal in 14-15 but he only played a handful of games last year before he got hurt. What is his status?

[Red Menace]

not that it matters much, but would a guy like Nakladal be exempt? with only 2 years of pro North American experience after next season? (assuming he signs with Flames)

[Imported_Aussie]

Protect
F - Gaudreau
F - Monahan
F - Bennett (RFA)
F - Backlund
F - Frolik
F -
F -
D - Giordano
D - Brodie
D - Hamilton
G -

Stajan, Bouma, Colborne (assuming multi-year deal) - lots of games there to expose at forward. With the D - depends on their rule regarding how an upcoming free agent is considered, but RFAs in Jokipakka and potentially Wotherspoon may count for this reason. May also be a reason to sign a D to a 2 year deal and intentionally expose that player


The other 2 F and G depend on UFA signings - if you sign a free agent, unless they stink, you would want to protect them. If you go with just keeping youth:

F - Shinkaruk
F - Ferland (RFA)
G - Gillies (RFA)


I am assuming Gillies needs to be protected due to being signed for the 2014/15 season, and that making it 3 pro years this upcoming season. Even if he is exposed, there are a lot of other guys who will be in the mix to be taken, so there is a good chance he slips through

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

stajan, colborne, wotherspoon exposed. boom

Doesn't work like that -- you pick who you protect, not who you expose. Everyone who is not protected is up for grabs.

Reinhart and Eichel will both be exempt, so this affects Buffalo very little, if at all. Might even get someone to take Moulson off our hands.

[sureLoss]

This is likely the CBA definition the article refers to:

the term "professional season" shall:
(A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player
plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular
Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff
games, and games played in any European professional league, while
under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in
which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including
NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and
playoff games, and games played in any European professional league,
while under an SPC).

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Doesn't work like that -- you pick who you protect, not who you expose. Everyone who is not protected is up for grabs.

I think his point was we don't need to worry about the 40/70 rule as we won't be protecting those players he listed.

[_Q_]

I think Gillies gets exposed but goes unpicked. There will be plenty of better options in net for the expansion team.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Flames burned a year of Gillies deal in 14-15 but he only played a handful of games last year before he got hurt. What is his status?

Flames burned a year but he didn't play a game. So according to the definition in the CBA, he didn't gain a pro season.

15/16 was his first pro season.

Assuming he plays a game in 16/17 that will be his 2nd pro season.