Speculation: Will Teams Be Able to Make Expansion Protection Deals?

[boredmale]

I would overpick d-men and use them as trade bait personally.

I believe the league states it clearly they have to pick 18 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. So it's not a case they can draft say 15 defensemen then turn around and start trading those defensemen to other teams for picks, prospects and forwards

 

[NSH615]

Yeah it costs money for pittsburgh. It also doesnt help LV since they wont be able to pick Murray anyway. So i dont see why LV rather let pens buy MAF out than geting a 3rd round pick?

Another thing to ask is "Will the buyout window be open yet?". If the finals go the full 7 games, the buyout window may not be open before rosters are due for the expansion draft and with a NMC, PIT would be required to protect MAF.

 

[Mike Jones]

NYI can offer LV a pick to dictate which one they don't take. LV still gets a good player and say a mid-rd pick to take DeHaan instead of Pulock.

This is a good example of why the league can't really prevent (As has been discussed in another thread) these kinds of trades. They help too many teams, including the new one.

Why should the league prevent a deal where the new team gets a free pick plus a decent player?

 

[Mike Jones]

Another thing to ask is "Will the buyout window be open yet?". If the finals go the full 7 games, the buyout window may not be open before rosters are due for the expansion draft and with a NMC, PIT would be required to protect MAF.

In some (Perhaps all) of the previous expansions rosters have been frozen at a certain point so that no moves can be made for a period prior to the expansion draft. I think it was the beginning of the playoffs or something like that. So there will probably be no buyout period prior to the upcoming expansion draft. It may be better for teams if it was postponed until after the expansion draft anyway as there will be players who won't be picked who need to be gotten rid of.

 

[Mike Jones]

I believe the league states it clearly they have to pick 18 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. So it's not a case they can draft say 15 defensemen then turn around and start trading those defensemen to other teams for picks, prospects and forwards

If the new team picks 9 they can trade 3-4 and fill in the blanks through free agency and waivers.

 

[Crede777]

What's the incentive for Las Vegas to do that though? The NHL made the rules so that good players wind up on their roster and the league is going to "advise" management on who they should hire as GM. They aren't going to suggest a GM who would rather have magic beans than de Haan, it's everyone's interest that Vegas be competitive right away.

What kind of package would you give up from the Islanders roster in exchange for de Haan or Pulock? I doubt we'll see many trades of the "please don't take good player x" variety because a quality NHL player is generally preferable to whatever quantity offer you put together. We might see a team bribe Vegas if they only have scrubs and negative value contracts exposed to take cap off their books, but it's naive to think a team can wiggle out of losing a good player they can't protect.

If Vegas views two players as close, they may opt to take the slightly worse player plus a draft pick.

 

[KevinRedkey]

I sure hope so. I would very much like Ottawa to offer Lazar+ to be able to keep Methot.
Not sure if LV takes that, but I hope it's doable at least.

 

[StupidGenius]

I believe the league states it clearly they have to pick 18 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. So it's not a case they can draft say 15 defensemen then turn around and start trading those defensemen to other teams for picks, prospects and forwards

According to the expansion rukes thread on BoH, Vegas has to select 14 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. The remaining four are their choice of position, I'd assume.

 

[Mike Jones]

According to the expansion rukes thread on BoH, Vegas has to select 14 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. The remaining four are their choice of position, I'd assume.

This is probably the case. I could see the new team choosing a fourth goalie, for example, in an effort to the give the organization some depth at that position.

 

[Mr Misty]

Remember, they still get to select a player from said team as well.

In your instance, LV could value:
1st/2nd + another Isles player > de Haan

Sure, that could be the case. But I don't see a reason why the two teams would have significant differences in value. If the Islanders would choose to sacrifice package x to keep de Haan, odds are Vegas would also favor de Haan over package x. Just balance the equation of de Haan = what Islanders assets as an example. What are the odds we can come up with something of equivalent value without violating the tried and true HF homer maxim of quantity for quality?

If Vegas views two players as close, they may opt to take the slightly worse player plus a draft pick.

The OP wants to keep both de Haan and Pulock, I don't think the odds are very high that Vegas would pass on the 2 best assets.

 

[Yog S'loth]

I'm sure they'll be allowed.

Gotta give the Kings another chance to screw themselves for a decade.

 

[boredmale]

According to the expansion rukes thread on BoH, Vegas has to select 14 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. The remaining four are their choice of position, I'd assume.

If that is the case then I could see them use the extra 4 slots on defensemen since that most likely would be the best players out their to draft

 

[Rorschach]

Just nitpicking but it isn't a "rebuild" in Vegas' case. You can't rebuild something that hasn't been "built" in the first place.

Just sayin'...

You're right.

 

[Eric Sachs]

Sure, that could be the case. But I don't see a reason why the two teams would have significant differences in value. If the Islanders would choose to sacrifice package x to keep de Haan, odds are Vegas would also favor de Haan over package x. Just balance the equation of de Haan = what Islanders assets as an example. What are the odds we can come up with something of equivalent value without violating the tried and true HF homer maxim of quantity for quality?



The OP wants to keep both de Haan and Pulock, I don't think the odds are very high that Vegas would pass on the 2 best assets.

It's happened countless times in past expansion drafts.. so I imagine that those situations are actually pretty common. The expansion team can prefer to stock up on future assets, etc.

 

[SI90]

Vegas will not finish in last place their first year.

 

[NSH615]

Vegas will not finish in last place their first year.

Nobody knows that. All it takes is one or two injuries to key players. The year the Preds drafted Seth Jones at 4th overall, they were not bad that year but rather destroyed by injuries.

 

[Goose312]

Vegas will not finish in last place their first year.

I think a lot of people will be surprised with how bad they will be though. Just because they are being given a better start than previous new teams doesn't mean they are going to be a strong team. They are still getting at best 3rd line forwards and 2nd pairing defenders.

 

[boredmale]

I think a lot of people will be surprised with how bad they will be though. Just because they are being given a better start than previous new teams doesn't mean they are going to be a strong team. They are still getting at best 3rd line forwards and 2nd pairing defenders.

Yeah it will be a roster of 12 3rd liners and 6 #4 defensemen. lol

 

[Mr Misty]

It's happened countless times in past expansion drafts.. so I imagine that those situations are actually pretty common. The expansion team can prefer to stock up on future assets, etc.

But those teams were bad by design, Vegas won't be in that position. Look at how rare it is for a team to choose to be bad, Vegas is a new market with a clean slate, for the market to be stable they need to compete as soon as possible.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Vegas will not finish in last place their first year.

The predicted line-ups people are posting are made up of many players that will probably be traded before they even reach the expansion draft I'd imagine.

Teams don't want to lose key players for nothing.

 

[Anksun]

There will be deals on the table for Vegas to not pick certain players and there will be deals for Vegas to pick some specific players on opposite teams from others teams.

Vegas will want draft picks, it will be invaluable to build a good prospects pool as fast as possible.

Imo, Some teams are getting ready for the game like the habs with 5 2nd rounders in the next 2 years. Will be interesting.

 

[Soundgarden]

I know it's already been said, but this is really Vegas's best shot at picking 4-8 times in the top 60, or 62 rather. For those who cannot see the benefit of taking on bad contracts look at it this way, let's say hypothetical LA HAS to expose Toffoli, but they really want to get rid of Brown's contract so they'll give Vegas a 1st and a C level prospect to "not pick Toffoli" and it ends up looking like this for Vegas.

Top 31 draft choice, prospect, Brown.

Now, you might say yeah but Toffoli is so much better than Brown just take him, but this gives Vegas:
A free prospect, depth for AHL team, fills their 3-4W slot and gets them closer to the floor.
If they we're already thinking Brown to get to the cap then the pick and the prospect are just gravy.

 

[sabresfan65]

I believe the league states it clearly they have to pick 18 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goalies. So it's not a case they can draft say 15 defensemen then turn around and start trading those defensemen to other teams for picks, prospects and forwards

It's 14, 9 and 3 so they could draft 14 forwards, 13 defenseman and 3 goalies.

 

[boredmale]

I know it's already been said, but this is really Vegas's best shot at picking 4-8 times in the top 60, or 62 rather. For those who cannot see the benefit of taking on bad contracts look at it this way, let's say hypothetical LA HAS to expose Toffoli, but they really want to get rid of Brown's contract so they'll give Vegas a 1st and a C level prospect to "not pick Toffoli" and it ends up looking like this for Vegas.

Top 31 draft choice, prospect, Brown.

Now, you might say yeah but Toffoli is so much better than Brown just take him, but this gives Vegas:
A free prospect, depth for AHL team, fills their 3-4W slot and gets them closer to the floor.
If they we're already thinking Brown to get to the cap then the pick and the prospect are just gravy.

Only thing is I think a few teams might try offer them a 1st rounder to pick a certain player, so Brown's 6 year contract is going to be hard to unload. I know from an Islanders perspective I would offer a 1st for them to take Grabovski(who at the time would only have 1 year remaining on his deal so Vegas could turn around and dump him at the trade deadline)

 

[ManofSteel55]

Well Las Vegas will be selecting 30 players, but they only need 20 for a starting roster. Dmen will be the easiest to acquire, so it may be worthwhile to take a 1st from the Isles instead of De Haan, and just fill their blueline with other players.

And there's nothing to really stop them working out deals. If it's not allowed then they could always just take the player, and trade him back afterwords. So for example the select De Haan, then after the draft trade him back to the Isles for Prince and a 1st.

Whoever is the expansion draft will have the choice of either just making their picks, or try to cut as many side deals as possible.

20 players for their active roster, but this will potentially help them build their farm team as well. The Vegas team will be able to bring in 10 guys, if there are that many, who don't have to clear waivers to go up and down. Its about organizational depth just as much as it is about finding their starting roster.