There is something that I cannot stop thinking about...
Is there another option other than exposing Flames' captain Mark Giordano in the upcoming expansion draft?
I struggle with convincing myself that Brad Treliving & Co. are totally comfortable with letting Seattle take him away. They understand the risk of leaving him exposed but are likely left with no other choice.
If the Flames go with the 7-3-1 approach to their expansion protection list, it isn't easy to make a case for including Giordano. For one, Calgary must protect Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. That leaves one spot up for the taking between Giordano and Chris Tanev.
After this past season, I do not know how the Flames could protect their captain over Tanev. Not only was he the Flames' best defenseman, but he is also substantially younger under a longer-term deal with a friendlier cap hit. Aside from allowing Giordano's past with the organization to outweigh everything else, protecting Tanev is the only sensical option.
Now Calgary could always elect to go the eight skaters and one goalie route. In that case, which forward do they expose?
I had Calgary protecting Tkachuk, Lindholm, Monahan, Gaudreau, Dube, Mangiapane, and Backlund in my post diving into a potential protection list. If the Flames protected Giordano using the alternate list option, one of those forwards would be exposed. Of course, one could make a case for one of the individuals potentially headed elsewhere via trade. However, I'd argue that Calgary would be better served to protect them and then fetching a return, more than freed-up cap space, for those assets.
Exposing Giordano will not be easy for the Flames. He is their captain and a beloved member of the franchise, both by the organization and fan base. It will be even more challenging if he is indeed taken by the Kraken, which I'm still not convinced will be the case.
Still, I don't see another option. The Flames have to expose him.