Sean Maloughney: Kraken Expansion Draft - Edmonton Oilers

brutal looking Kraken team so far.

brutal looking Kraken team so far.
- wingz4life

A few people have pointed this out, a couple important things to remember here.

1) We are less than halfway though the NHL teams right now, plenty of opportunity to see some better names.

2) This is a very early roster with trades, surprise player growth and a number of other options likely to impact who is and isn't protected.

3) Currently the Colorado Avalanche's roster is the only list that has met all of the requirements (ie: leaving 2 forwards, one defenseman, and one goalie exposed signed through the following year)

That last one is the big one. This isn't to say those who have provided me their lists have done so incorrectly, but most teams will need to extend some of their pending UFA's in order to leave them exposed.

The purpose of doing an Expansion List now, and a couple more over the year is to see how the team will evolve. Sit back and enjoy the process.

A few people have pointed this out, a couple important things to remember here.

1) We are less than halfway though the NHL teams right now, plenty of opportunity to see some better names.

2) This is a very early roster with trades, surprise player growth and a number of other options likely to impact who is and isn't protected.

3) Currently the Colorado Avalanche's roster is the only list that has met all of the requirements (ie: leaving 2 forwards, one defenseman, and one goalie exposed signed through the following year)

That last one is the big one. This isn't to say those who have provided me their lists have done so incorrectly, but most teams will need to extend some of their pending UFA's in order to leave them exposed.

The purpose of doing an Expansion List now, and a couple more over the year is to see how the team will evolve. Sit back and enjoy the process.
- freelancer

Boom.... 4 million dollar band aid gone

If Klefbummed Shoulder is even around by next year

hey Sean.

I know I'm still doing the leafs, but am I still doing the preds? Let me know!! Nothing was confirmed from before and just making sure.

Sean Maloughney: Kraken Expansion Draft - Edmonton Oilers
- Sean Maloughney

If Klefbom misses the entire season with an injury he is no longer eligible for the expansion draft. So James Neal it is.

A few people have pointed this out, a couple important things to remember here.

1) We are less than halfway though the NHL teams right now, plenty of opportunity to see some better names.

2) This is a very early roster with trades, surprise player growth and a number of other options likely to impact who is and isn't protected.

3) Currently the Colorado Avalanche's roster is the only list that has met all of the requirements (ie: leaving 2 forwards, one defenseman, and one goalie exposed signed through the following year)

That last one is the big one. This isn't to say those who have provided me their lists have done so incorrectly, but most teams will need to extend some of their pending UFA's in order to leave them exposed.

The purpose of doing an Expansion List now, and a couple more over the year is to see how the team will evolve. Sit back and enjoy the process.
- freelancer

I will also add to your case that with the exception of Fluery, Vegas looked god awful before their season started as well.

That team was filled with guys who had spent their careers in depth roles, if it wasn’t for that entire roster having breakout years that team would have likely finished bottom 5.

Not saying a mediocre on paper seattle team will or won’t have the same success as Vegas but just pointing out that expansion teams don’t generally appear to have strong rosters to begin with

Interesting choice, I would suspect the oilers would try to trade klefbom before exposing him. My only question is what is the trade market for him given his injury history?

McDavid should be left unprotected.

If Kassian is exposed, and that is an if Benson somehow shows a lot more than he has, I can all but guarantee he gets picked. He is the prototypical middle 6 winger with toughness that made Vegas a force straight out of the draft.

Klefbom is either too injured to be selected period, will retire, or the Oilers will probably protect him. If he looked good enough to be selected the Oilers likely protect him.

McDavid should be left unprotected.
- FlamesFan1230

McDavid is a bum...didn't even lead his team in scoring last year

brutal looking Kraken team so far.
- wingz4life

You just never know. The Knights looked brutal after their draft. They were slated for points in the 50s or 60s. It’s revisionist history that they’d be contenders after their choices.

But some players matured, some stepped up wayyy beyond what they had achieved prior, and they made some VERY savvy moves to accept contracts for young up and comers. Here we are now lookin at a very solid franchise.

We’ll just have to see what shakes out.

If Kassian is exposed, and that is an if Benson somehow shows a lot more than he has, I can all but guarantee he gets picked. He is the prototypical middle 6 winger with toughness that made Vegas a force straight out of the draft.

Klefbom is either too injured to be selected period, will retire, or the Oilers will probably protect him. If he looked good enough to be selected the Oilers likely protect him.
- Aerchon

Disagree. If Jones takes a step forward this season, he's FAR more valuable than Klefbom to this team. He's 4 years younger, will still have a year at sub-1mil, a likely team-friendly deal after that and doesn't show any of the signs of an injury history like Klefbom. Meanwhile, Klefbom will have two years left at his 4.16mil cap hit followed by UFA status or we'll be paying for the back-nine of an injury-prone Dman's career. With even a moderate step forward this season, Jones is a bigger part of this team's future than Klefbom is and, as such, should be protected over him.

Similar goes for Bear except doubly so as he's a RD. If either flounders next year- as is always possible- then the protection list can be adjusted.

Since Nurse is our best Dman, he doesn't even enter the "don't protect" conversation.

I'd be all over Kassian in this scenario. Klefbolm has the higher upside but Kassian is a really good up and down the lineup player who can do it all.

Disagree. If Jones takes a step forward this season, he's FAR more valuable than Klefbom to this team. He's 4 years younger, will still have a year at sub-1mil, a likely team-friendly deal after that and doesn't show any of the signs of an injury history like Klefbom. Meanwhile, Klefbom will have two years left at his 4.16mil cap hit followed by UFA status or we'll be paying for the back-nine of an injury-prone Dman's career. With even a moderate step forward this season, Jones is a bigger part of this team's future than Klefbom is and, as such, should be protected over him.

Similar goes for Bear except doubly so as he's a RD. If either flounders next year- as is always possible- then the protection list can be adjusted.

Since Nurse is our best Dman, he doesn't even enter the "don't protect" conversation.
- MaximumBone

You have spoken truth.

Is there ANOTHER ZACH KASSIAN IN THE NHL???? Because there is NO WAY he can play up and down your lineup AND have your team succeed! He only played the top 6 due to him protecting the legit top 6 forwards. KASSIAN at best is a plug in 3rd liner regular 4th. He’s only gotten average stats playing with elite players. If Seattle take KASSIAN over Klefbom they’re dumb.

Is there ANOTHER ZACH KASSIAN IN THE NHL???? Because there is NO WAY he can play up and down your lineup AND have your team succeed! He only played the top 6 due to him protecting the legit top 6 forwards. KASSIAN at best is a plug in 3rd liner regular 4th. He’s only gotten average stats playing with elite players. If Seattle take KASSIAN over Klefbom they’re dumb.
- firelarry

While I'm receptive to the general premise that Kassian shouldn't be viewed as more than a 3rd liner, the bold statement is inaccurate by any objective look at his numbers.

His 32 even strength points on the year rank him 57th in the league alongside names like Teravainen, Konecny, Rust, Schwartz, Bertuzzi, and Marner. His point scoring rate at 5-on-5 of 2.21 per 60 would rank him 59th alongside names like Teravainen (again), Forsberg, Hornqvist, Marner (again), and Connor. Do you maintain your position for other "up-jumped grinders" like Bertuzzi and Rust?

The fact that he's produced those numbers is obviously a result of McDavid, but it's not like everyone produces like that with him. Kassian has done a plenty fine job adjusting his game to fit alongside McDavid and has produced well above average top-6 scoring numbers when in that spot. The fact that McDavid's offense or overall results don't dip when he's on-ice with Zack is a further support for the above average quality of his results.

Will he be able to continue doing so? No way to know for sure, but he has done so up until now.

Nuge is gonna be a UFA so I believe that makes him exempt. Seen a few pending UFAs on your lists now.

Lol. Guarantee the Kraken will be immensely displeased when they select Kassian to be in their top 6 and fail while ignoring a promising defenseman on that list. Time and time again the “good” teams have showed that you need defense to win! Ask Toronto and others how their top heavy forward group works for them lol!

Lol. Guarantee the Kraken will be immensely displeased when they select Kassian to be in their top 6 and fail while ignoring a promising defenseman on that list. Time and time again the “good” teams have showed that you need defense to win! Ask Toronto and others how their top heavy forward group works for them lol!
- firelarry

You say this as if I'm suggesting they'd take Kassian over Klefbom. I was just contesting your statement that Kassian produced only average numbers alongside elite players.

And I was arguing Klefbom won't be available unless his injury is basically career ending/crippling.

Jones, currently, is nothing more than bottom pairing left shooting defenseman.

I believe he is important and will improve but if Klefbom is actually healthy moving forward Jones ain't fit to sniff his jock strap.

Don't know how you can move or in this case leave exposed Klefbom over Jones barring Jones showing way more than he has. He isnt an 18 year old elite prospect, he is tracking as a lower tier nhl defenseman... to date. Development is never linear.

And I was arguing Klefbom won't be available unless his injury is basically career ending/crippling.

Jones, currently, is nothing more than bottom pairing left shooting defenseman.

I believe he is important and will improve but if Klefbom is actually healthy moving forward Jones ain't fit to sniff his jock strap.

Don't know how you can move or in this case leave exposed Klefbom over Jones barring Jones showing way more than he has. He isnt an 18 year old elite prospect, he is tracking as a lower tier nhl defenseman... to date. Development is never linear.
- Aerchon

He just had a season as a very solid 3rd pairing Dman including a stretch of games where he fared well in a top-4 role as a 22 year old. If all you call that is "tracking as a lower tier NHL defenseman" then sure.

I think Jones' combination of cap hit (present and future RFA) and level of play are more important to the team long term than Klefbom's combination of cap hit (present and future UFA), level of play, and availability. If Jones can hold up in a top-4 role this year, then this isn't even a conversation anymore.

The additional cap space gained from such a situation also shouldn't be ignored. An extra 3.3mil in cap space on top of the large amount they'll already have could mean another high-end player being added that otherwise might not be.

Another interesting consideration is that, if Jones is exposed, he's almost certainly taken even if he stays at the same level. Cheap, young NHL Dmen are GOLD for NHL teams and doubly so in a flat cap world. Klefbom's injury history and the uncertainty that might surround it (even that far in the future) MAY just be enough to dissuade Seattle from taking him, thus allowing us to hypothetically keep both. Not likely, but more likely than Jones not being picked.

You're free to disagree. Regardless, I think this season as is hinges largely on Jones being able to step up and hold his own and Bear not regressing and, as such, we can view this season as Jones auditioning to take that 3rd protection slot from Klefbom.

If we are talking Jones versus Russell. It's Jones for all the reasons you mention. I even like Russell.

But Jones versus a "healthy" Klefbom just isn't close. To each their own and if you see Jones developing as a Klefbom level top 3 defender that's great.

However. You also got to remember we have Samourukov and Broberg that are very likely to surpass Jones sooner than later. And we are stuck with the aforementioned Russell another year after this.

Left defense is our most expendable position. While I wouldn't want to lose Jones and am hoping for some win win situation as well I think there is a decent chance Jones is the one we lose to Seattle.

As a gambling man Jones is who I expect we will lose. Or maybe Benson if both him and Kassian have big years.

Does edmonton even have a blogger anymore?