LeBrun: NHL Expansion Draft Parameters Discussion ‘Contentious’

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I'm guessing that is close to what it will be as well. All players in an organization will be exposed. If so there will be a lot of good players available.

I don't have a huge issue with it. If the league is going to make the leap into a market like Vegas the last thing they'll want is a bottom feeder for 5-10 years. They'll want to make that franchise at least respectable right out of the gate.

Give them all the young players they need, if they hire a Doug MacLean it won't matter. That's always been a huge factor in why expansion teams flounder for so long. Penalizing all the existing teams for the poor desicions of previous expansion teams seems so bush league to me. San Jose, Florida and Minnesota all made the playoffs within 3 years, it's not impossible to get competitive quickly in the cap world especially.

All players drafted in the last 2 years and all players on ELCs should be excempt IMO.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Penalizing all the existing teams for the poor desicions of previous expansion teams seems so bush league to me. San Jose, Florida and Minnesota all made the playoffs within 3 years, it's not impossible to get competitive quickly in the cap world especially.

I don't think it's penalizing teams. Those expansion teams would be putting up half a billion dollars, that's not chump change......they don't want to be competitive in 3 years or so, they want to be a least respectable right off the hop. I don't think it's a bad idea.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I get that the McDavid jokes sometimes write themselves, but are we really laughing at something like this?

Gaudreau
Monahan
Brodie
Hamilton
Bennett

This #$#@ isn't all that funny to me.

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Honestly if we lose a player of that magnitude, I'd be done with the NHL. Could you imagine an expansion team stacked with youth like that while we toil another five years trying to replace our losses.

This is my feelings as well. We've been waiting for a long time to see this team build a young core like the one above.

If, just when that proper rebuild is being executed, the Flames lose any of the above players to a godamn expansion draft, I will pull the plug on my fandom.

My interest has been waning already, that would finish me off.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I don't think it's penalizing teams. Those expansion teams would be putting up half a billion dollars, that's not chump change......they don't want to be competitive in 3 years or so, they want to be a least respectable right off the hop. I don't think it's a bad idea.

Why should they come in and be better than the Flames right off the bat? Because they paid a lot of money for a team? I agree they should be competitive, but only to a point. Would you feel the same way if Las Vegas beats us out of a playoff spot in year one with a group that resembles a team exiting a 5 year rebuild?

There is a lot of good players out there that are underutilized and/or redundant on their current teams would, players that could still be useful in a new situation. The salary cap is the great equalizer and these teams will start with zero obligations. There has never been more talent available, the NHL needs to be careful here. It will not go over well if these expansion teams are contenders in year one while the also-rans continue to flounder.

[powderjunkie]

How about three tiers of rules:

No Playoffs in 2 years: 1-5-9
Conference Finals Appearance in last 2 years: 1-4-8
All teams in between: 1-5-8 or 1-4-9

Infinite possible permutations of course (add 2 goalie choice), but it would be a more fair way. The most successful teams tend to run into the 'Blackhawks dilemma' and have to ditch Saads, Byfugliens and Ladds anyways.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Why should they come in and be better than the Flames right off the bat?

I never said they should be better than the Flames. I'm just saying if the expansion draft rules are relaxed a bit compared to past drafts it makes sense to me. They can't just be offered also-rans. If there are more prospects and young players available I'm ok with it.

[MrMastodonFarm]

These long term deals and salary cap change the dynamic of an expansion draft as well. The Flames might have to expose younger players, or they expose an older vet with a big contract like Giordano.

Making the older player available, while risky, night be the safer bet.

Be interesting to follow.

[taco.vidal]

I doubt this would be workable as it would likely need to be put into the CBA, but if you could let the expansion teams work with a higher salary cap for the first three seasons of their existence. The three years is an arbitrary number and lets pick a 25% percent higher cap for the expansion teams. If their paying $500 million expansion fees, spending extra money in the first few years shouldnt be a big deal for them. Set some parameters for how the extra cap space is allowed to be used in terms of how teams can acquire veteran players in the expansion draft and as an example, allowable front end bonuses these teams can pay to freeagents they sign. It might let these teams take on some overpaid but still valuable veterans and attract some free agents.

[Aarongavey]

I don't know why they interviewed a GM, the owners will put them in their place. "Uh, I don't really care, I am getting (with two teams) 33 million dollars, see ya Johnny, Gary is making it rain"

The real question is what do the owners think, cause they are the one's who will call the shots on this one. If Gary says this is how you get your cash, the owners will say ok.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

This is why I hate expansion. Your odds of winning the Cup drop even more, and you lose quality players to the new franchises. Seriously, what's in it for fans of existing teams?

Nothing's in it for fans of existing teams. But whoever said there was supposed to be? The teams will get their share of expansion money. Players will get more jobs. New cities and their fans get their new teams and maybe some decent players.

Keep in mind, too, everyone, that it will apply to every team and they can only fill a roster to a certain degree. Might the Flames lose a guy like Monahan? Maybe. But if an expansion team wants a centre, he's one of a whole bunch to choose from.

I figure the Flames would protect, in order, Gaudreau, Brodie, Bennett, Monahan, Hamilton.

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by Locke

Maybe this is why the league didnt rig the last draft so that the Oilers couldnt draft McDavid.

A sort of kick in the nuts.

"Oh, you thought you had McDavid? Well now hes in Vegas!"

McDavid: "Thank God!"

No offense, but McDavid has never said or done anything to suggest even in the slightest, that he is not happy about playing or being in Edmonton. Quite the contrary actually, when Sather "number" retiring took place, he said he was happy to be with an organization that has so much history, including someone of the very best players to EVER play the game.

I get it, Hate on Edmonton. It was funny when Edmonton first won the McDavid lottery. That has long passed though and McDavid, like I said, has done nothing to say or suggest he hates it there.

The Whole "McDavid hates Edmonton" joke is old and stale and quite frankly it's stupid to say now.

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

This is why I hate expansion. Your odds of winning the Cup drop even more, and you lose quality players to the new franchises. Seriously, what's in it for fans of existing teams?

If losing your 2nd or 3rd best "prospect" kills ur odds of winning the Stanley Cup, your team has a lot more problems then that.

[d_phaneuf]

most likely thing just seems to be players on ELCs have to be protected, or maybe all players over a certain age like 20-22 have to be

with similar numbers allowed to be protected as in the past, or maybe a few more actually since the pool will be so much bigger

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Yeah, but Bettman is saying he wants these expansion teams to be more competitive right off the hop. If that's the case, we might be looking at something like:

1 G
4 D
6 F

And that makes decisions a lot tougher.

In which case every team would have to expose either a top-6 forward, or their best forward prospect.

Likewise, every team would have to expose either a top-4 blueliner, or their top defence prospect.

So the expansion teams would consist of nothing but top-6 forwards, top-4 defencemen, and blue-chip prospects.

Plus a 1st or 2nd overall pick.

You wouldn't be handing them the Stanley Cup on a platter exactly, but if a GM can't parley that into a championship you'd have to seriously question his ability to tie his shoes.

Either your NHL roster or your prospect base is completely open to being raided.

At the very VERY least, the NHL has to continue allowing ELCs to be automatically protected.

[GioforPM]

I could see allowing protection of 4 under 25 and 4 over 25. That would work pretty well for the Flames, because Brodie would be in the older group. I'd be content to protect Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett and Hamilton in the younger one. Brodie, Frolik, Gio, Backlund in the older group. It also leaves a sizeable chunk of the roster available to new teams, who could get a Ferland or a Bouma. Better yet, they'd snag some decent players from teams who are stacked in one age or the other.

[Locke]

I'd say to just give them the Oilers' roster but thats no good.

[GirlySports]

NHL has gone overboard with this parity thing.

Inside of me, I hope the Hawks win the cup again, 4 cups in 7 years.

[Vulcan]

I remember we took a chance that Skrudland wouldn't be picked because he was on a big contract. The trouble was the Florida Panthers owner was rich enough that it didn't matter. That stung as we'd just acquired him and he helped lead the Panthers to the final. It's going to take some smart management to come out of this expansion draft without being hurt.

[Funkhouser]

I suspect it will be along the lines of:
-Only Roster Players are eligible (must have played 25 games in the previous season)
-Only players under contract for the next season or RFAs are eligible
-Players on ELCs are automatically protected
-Teams can protect 1 goalie, 4 defensemen, 7 forwards
-Teams must automatically protect players with NMC (not players with NTC)
-No more than one player can be taken from each team.

These rules should allow most teams to protect their untouchables. There will be good goalies available along with a healthy mix of overpaid veterans (Stajan, Wideman, etc.), young players with potential (Ferland, Granlund, Colborne), and potentially the occasional anchor 'star player' (Phaneuf, Thornton, etc.). Their ability to overpay free agents and offer young players ice time should be beneficial.

This will make the teams automatically more competitive than expansion teams of the past (assuming competent management)

[polak]

Take anyone you want besides Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Brodie and Gio.

I promise you will regret it.