[News] Official expansion alignment, expansion draft rules, and 2017 entry draft rules

[Roof-Daddy]

Well that's good. Hopefully Shinkaruk makes the NHL next season and scores 20+

[getbak]

That's still based on assumptions over which clause in the CBA will be used for the expansion draft. It's best for the Flames if that's what they use, but I'd still like to get clarification from an official source.

[Itse]

So pretty much all worthwhile prospects will be exempt, and all the core players and then some will be protected. Plus teams will shuffle players around to essentially minimize the number of notable players exposed.

Las Vegas is going to be a completely terrible team.

[getbak]

They should get two good goalies and a decent defence core (probably better than anything the Oilers have iced in recent years). Their forward ranks will be pretty weak though.

One advantage they'll have is the free agency rules are a lot looser than they were the last time there was expansion, and they'll have a bunch of money to spend on free agents.

[Red Menace]

Originally Posted by Itse

So pretty much all worthwhile prospects will be exempt, and all the core players and then some will be protected. Plus teams will shuffle players around to essentially minimize the number of notable players exposed.

Las Vegas is going to be a completely terrible team.

I agree with this, for all the leagues intentions, the GM's will find away around it...they may get an ok D core, and maybe 1 good G...but I think their Fwds will be awful.
I suppose they will have some options in the UFA market, but the expansion draft itself will not yield too many quality players.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

I agree with this, for all the leagues intentions, the GM's will find away around it...they may get an ok D core, and maybe 1 good G...but I think their Fwds will be awful.
I suppose they will have some options in the UFA market, but the expansion draft itself will not yield too many quality players.

I think their forwards will be average too. I think they will lack a 1st line but should be able to get a decent 2nd line and I think their 3rd and 4th lines will be among the best in the league. All it will take is a couple good forwards and a defenseman in free agency or via trade and I think they will shock alot of people.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I mean, isn't that how expansion teams should be? Why should a team be extremely competitive in the first year of inception? I don't want them to be awful, because that's not fun for anyone, but why should they be in the playoff mix for example?

I mean, I really, really, really want them to be better than both Edmonton and Vancouver, for ####s and giggles, but that's about it, and let's be honest, that bar isn't set very high these days.

With a half decent d-core and good goalie, they could have already figured out how to put together the foundations of a good team in one expansion draft, something that Edmonton hasn't figured out in over a decade. That's pretty funny.

I imagine there will be some quality veterans exposed here too, so there will be plenty of solid leadership guys available to guide the team...yet another thing Edmonton has failed with.

So yeah, they won't have the premiere talents on offense, but since when has that guaranteed success anyway? (cough...Oilers...cough)

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I mean, isn't that how expansion teams should be? Why should a team be extremely competitive in the first year of inception? I don't want them to be awful, because that's not fun for anyone, but why should they be in the playoff mix for example?

I mean, I really, really, really want them to be better than both Edmonton and Vancouver, for ####s and giggles, but that's about it, and let's be honest, that bar isn't set very high these days.

With a half decent d-core and good goalie, they could have already figured out how to put together the foundations of a good team in one expansion draft, something that Edmonton hasn't figured out in over a decade. That's pretty funny.

I imagine there will be some quality veterans exposed here too, so there will be plenty of solid leadership guys available to guide the team...yet another thing Edmonton has failed with.

So yeah, they won't have the premiere talents on offense, but since when has that guaranteed success anyway? (cough...Oilers...cough)

It was more the NHL saying they'd be a competitive team right off the bat that set that expectation.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

It was more the NHL saying they'd be a competitive team right off the bat that set that expectation.

Yeah, that's what I was referring to, but my point was that it's really the first time ever to expect an expansion team to be competitive in their 1st year, and IIRC the rules around this draft give them access to more players than in previous expansion drafts. I question whether that's really wise, or fair to the rest of the league, but I don't care too much as long as there's lots of loopholes for teams to protect the guys they really want/need.

[getbak]

Finally some clarity regarding the Professional Seasons definition...

Darren Haynes ‏@DarrenWHaynes

Noteworthy re: expansion. Contrary to popular belief, suggests sliding ELCs (e.g. Shinkaruk, Poirier) aren't exempt.

Like Pulock, Poirier and Shinkaruk both played the 2014-15 season in the AHL on sliding ELCs. If Pulock isn't exempt, Poirier and Shinkaruk won't be either.


If this is true, it looks like they're going with the "Professional Season" definition from the CBA (Article 10.1):

For the purposes of the foregoing, 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).

Gillies should still be exempt under this definition.

I still think that Jokipakka is the most-likely player for the Flames to lose in the expansion draft.

[sureLoss]

General fanager

[Imported_Aussie]

Originally Posted by getbak

Finally some clarity regarding the Professional Seasons definition...

Like Pulock, Poirier and Shinkaruk both played the 2014-15 season in the AHL on sliding ELCs. If Pulock isn't exempt, Poirier and Shinkaruk won't be either.


If this is true, it looks like they're going with the "Professional Season" definition from the CBA (Article 10.1):



Gillies should still be exempt under this definition.

I still think that Jokipakka is the most-likely player for the Flames to lose in the expansion draft.

I think who the Flames lose will depend on what other teams have out there. If teams are exposing enough NHL calibre players, perhaps Vegas takes a waiver exempt "close to NHL" player from Calgary? If they take too many guys that would need to start on an NHL roster, they could trade these guys to gain assets, but then you are in a position where you HAVE to make a deal, which hurts bargaining.

I wonder if we see trades happen though, where Vegas takes a player, only to flip them back to that team/another team for young assets?

[bubbsy]

i'm so curious how this all plays out.

In the event that the flames want to re-sign elliot, could they not simply re-sign him after the draft lottery, so as to not having to protect any goalies?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

i'm so curious how this all plays out.

In the event that the flames want to re-sign elliot, could they not simply re-sign him after the draft lottery, so as to not having to protect any goalies?

The Flames currently don't have a goalie that is in need of protection, so why wait on Elliott?

I wouldn't be surprised if the league puts in some kind of rule to discourage pending UFAs from re-signing with their current teams after the expansion draft. Seems like a way for teams to loophole around the expansion draft rules.

[Roof-Daddy]

Unless I'm mistaken, the Flames don't even currently have a goalie that they can expose to expansion. That needs to be changed or they will likely face some sort of penalty.

[Strange Brew]

[QUOTE=Cali Panthers Fan;5812921]I mean, isn't that how expansion teams should be? Why should a team be extremely competitive in the first year of inception? I don't want them to be awful, because that's not fun for anyone, but why should they be in the playoff mix for example?
QUOTE]

They paid $500,000,000 for a hockey team in the middle of the desert. I would argue they have paid for the ability to ice a competitive team from the first puck drop.

Surprised they aren't guaranteed the first pick in their first draft. The last expansion team in the NFL was awarded that pick.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Unless I'm mistaken, the Flames don't even currently have a goalie that they can expose to expansion. That needs to be changed or they will likely face some sort of penalty.

It shouldn't be that hard. All they need to do is sign some AHL journey man with 3+ years of pro experience to a 2 year NHL minimum deal sometime this year.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I mean, isn't that how expansion teams should be? Why should a team be extremely competitive in the first year of inception? I don't want them to be awful, because that's not fun for anyone, but why should they be in the playoff mix for example?
QUOTE]

They paid $500,000,000 for a hockey team in the middle of the desert. I would argue they have paid for the ability to ice a competitive team from the first puck drop.

Surprised they aren't guaranteed the first pick in their first draft. The last expansion team in the NFL was awarded that pick.

Oilers called dibs......

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Unless I'm mistaken, the Flames don't even currently have a goalie that they can expose to expansion. That needs to be changed or they will likely face some sort of penalty.

I might have missed this but why didn't we sign Johnson to a 2-year so we could meet the expansion draft criteria?? Now we need to sign or trade for another goalie just to meet the requirements (when we already have a ton in the system)...or re-sign Elliott then leave him unprotected?? Neither seems like that great of an option.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

I might have missed this but why didn't we sign Johnson to a 2-year so we could meet the expansion draft criteria?? Now we need to sign or trade for another goalie just to meet the requirements (when we already have a ton in the system)...or re-sign Elliott then leave him unprotected?? Neither seems like that great of an option.

Johnson was a 1 year deal. He doesn't meet the requirements because he is not under contract for 2017/18. The earliest the Flames could sign him to a contract for 17/18 is January 1st.