As it becomes more apparent that the NHL will announce an expansion franchise for Las Vegas next week, the parameters for an expansion draft next summer have begun to come out.
Based on the information available so far, it appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs are well positioned to not lose any of their top players and prospects, who will be protected or exempt.
Each NHL club can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender or eight skaters and one goaltender, but has to expose at least two forwards and one defenseman that plays at least 40 games next season or a total of 70 games between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Teams also have to expose a goaltender under contract or a restricted free agent next summer.
Players with two years of pro hockey experience or less are exempt.
There are bound to be some significant roster changes and additions this summer, but if you look at the current Toronto roster and the number of players with expiring contracts at the end of next season, it makes the task of protecting the club’s valuable veterans an easy proposition for GM Lou Lamoriello.
With Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening becoming unrestricted free agents, forwards Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov, Tyler Bozak(if not traded this summer), Connor Brown, Brendan Leipsic and either Peter Holland or Josh Leivo can be shielded.
Toronto may have a bit of trouble meeting the 40/70 provision for exposed players. Joffrey Lupul played 46 games last season and would have to play 25 games next season to qualify.
Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner and one of a large group that includes Stuart Percy, Martin Marincin, Viktor Loov, Connor Carrick, Frank Corrado and Scott Harrington will be protected. At this point, the Leafs do not have an NHL goaltender to protect, as Jonathan Bernier will be a UFA next summer.
According to
General Fanager, 15 Toronto Maple Leafs prospects will not have to be protected, including 2015 draft picks Mitch Marner, Travis Dermott, Andrew Nielsen and Dmytro Timashov, 2014 top pick William Nylander and third rounder Rinat Valiev, 2013 first rounder Frederik Gauthier and seventh rounder Andreas Johnson, free agent additions Nikita Zaitsev, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Nikita Soshnikov and Byron Froese and trade acquisitions Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen and Tobias Lindberg.
Nylander will have played three professional seasons when the draft occurs next summer (37 AHL games in 2015 and split between the Marlies and Leafs last season) but according to
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the 2015 season will not count since Nylander was 18 and did not play 10 NHL games that season.
Players with no movement clauses will have to be protected by clubs, but the Maple Leafs do not have anyone on their roster with a NMC except injured winger Nathan Horton.
The Globe and Mail’s
James Mirtle believes that teams will likely not have to protect players with career-ending injuries which an expansion franchise will never claim.
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Former Leaf Richard Panik agreed to a one-year, $875,000 deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. The 25-year-old forward was dealt by Toronto for Jeremy Morin on January 3 and scored six goals and two assists for the Hawks in 30 games.
Panik did not make the Toronto roster out of training camp last season and played well for the Toronto Marlies, but it was unlikely that the former Lightning draft pick would have received a qualifying offer from the Leafs this summer.
Morin was a throw-in in the deal that sent goalie James Reimer to San Jose on February 27th.
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