|
Expansion and The Islanders |
|
|
|
|
|
Follow me on Twitter @thefirstnoel19
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reported that all 30 owners received information from the league regarding a possible expansion draft next June. The biggest thing that stood out revolved around veteran statuses and no-movement clauses.
NHL will make its teams leave two forwards and one defenseman who have played at least 40 games during the previous season or 70 over the previous two available to be picked. These players must have term left on their contracts. The Islanders would gladly make Josh Bailey and Nikolay Kulemin available. Bailey would have one year left with a $3.3M cap hit. Kulemin would also have one year left with a $4.187M cap hit.
The Isles have two players with no movement clauses, John Tavares and Johnny Boychuk. Both would count against their protection number. I could've seen the team leaving Boychuk and his $6M cap hit thought the 2021-22 season unprotected.
Those with contracts expiring on June 30, 2017, Cal Clutterbuck and Thomas Greiss would be exempt because of their impending free agent statuses. That's why both will unlikely get extended before July 1, 2017. The Isles would have to protect Jean-Francois Berube.
An interesting note is that NHL teams wouldn’t be allowed to reacquire players they trade between Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018 in case they attempt to evade the expansion draft rules.
In March, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said teams would have the option of protecting seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie or eight skaters and a goalie. First-and second-year players are automatically exempt from the selection process. The team would not have to protect any of their 2014 picks like Michael Dal Colle. Ryan Pulock would need to be protected since he is entering his third professional season.
There are two ways that this can play out for the Islanders. If Jarolsav Halak is still on this team a year from now he will surely be left unprotected. The expansion team might be compelled to select him and his $4.5M cap hit to get to the cap floor for a season. The same could be said for Bailey, Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. If Las Vegas chooses to go with talent over salary, Thomas Hickey and Adam Pelech could be in play. Hickey's cap hit is $2.2M and would likely be a top-4 defenseman on the expansion team.
Each team can only lose one player in the draft.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»