Seattle Mock Expansion Draft: Best Players Available

[Larry Fisher]

This is the third and final part of a series conducting mock expansion drafts for Seattle, with this team executing a plan to pick the best players available from each franchise based on several factors including skill, upside, age, contracts, marketability and roster fit: https://thehockeywriters.com/seattle-mock-expansion-draft-best-players-available/

Click to read more...

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Pesce exposed?

Ok there.

 

[JabbaJabba]

I am really skeptical that the Ducks would expose Manson to protect Guhle. A lot of progression would have to happen in order for that to happen. Although, I think that a lot of Ducks fans would agree that Henrique would be exposed for Seattle to pick him.

 

[Soundgarden]

Again, I really don't see how they take Turris over Saros, Watson or Sissons. You'd think he'd be a good captain, why not just make someone like Tyler Johnson captain?

 

[Buck Naked]

Again, why would anyone pick soon-to-be UFA Haula before a cost-controlled Pesce!? Pesce would be borderline best D on that team (Petry is aight too)!

 

[Aladyyn]

Protecting Ristolainen as the 4th D only to leave 2 superior defensemen exposed? Please.

 

[Jumptheshark]

We have 2 years, 100 signings and about 50 trades to go before we know who is available

 

[Larry Fisher]

We have 2 years, 100 signings and about 50 trades to go before we know who is available

That's true, I just wanted to paint a picture of what Seattle's roster could look like if the draft was held today for the upcoming season. Just a fun exercise to pass the time during the dog days of summer. The realistic mocks won't happen until after the trade deadline in 2021. The mocks between now and then — and there will be many — are more so for fun and practice. Ron Francis will be doing a ton of these too, at least one per month for the next 23 months. Practice makes perfect, right?

 

[Larry Fisher]

Pesce exposed?

Ok there.

That was a tough decision between Pesce and Bean. Pesce is more established in the present, but I'm a big fan of Bean's upside. I also contemplated protecting both Pesce and Bean by going 4-4 (8-1) instead of 7-3, which would have meant exposing Niederreiter, Gauthier and Geekie. In hindsight, I probably go that route, but I stuck with the same protected/exposed lists for all three mocks.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

No offense but it seems like a mistake to have wasted your time with this as this is pure fantasy land, no information can be gained from an exercise like this. It would be more compelling if you at least tried to project rosters down the line, but even that is still useless at the moment

 

[Larry Fisher]

I am really skeptical that the Ducks would expose Manson to protect Guhle. A lot of progression would have to happen in order for that to happen. Although, I think that a lot of Ducks fans would agree that Henrique would be exposed for Seattle to pick him.

I was embracing the rebuild for Anaheim, protecting players that would be key in 3-5 years as opposed to the present, thus exposing Manson and Kase instead of Guhle and Max Jones. In hindsight and based on feedback, I would probably protect Manson and Kase, but I kept the protected/exposed lists the same for each of these three mocks.

 

[Larry Fisher]

Again, I really don't see how they take Turris over Saros, Watson or Sissons. You'd think he'd be a good captain, why not just make someone like Tyler Johnson captain?

Tyler Johnson would be the captain for this BPA team since he's the home state boy. Turris would wear an 'A' here. I really like Turris for Seattle and I think he's going to bounce back this coming season based on his play at the worlds. I wouldn't be surprised if Turris plays his way back onto the protected list by Christmas, be it for Nashville or another team if he's traded between now and then.

 

[Larry Fisher]

Again, why would anyone pick soon-to-be UFA Haula before a cost-controlled Pesce!? Pesce would be borderline best D on that team (Petry is aight too)!

If you read the analysis, Carolina negotiated a side deal to prevent Pesce from being selected by Seattle. So despite being exposed, Pesce was not available for Seattle. Haula's experience from the Vegas expansion was a big factor in his selection for both the win-now and BPA teams. Seattle will surely pick a couple players that have been through this process before and Haula is one of the best available.

 

[Larry Fisher]

Protecting Ristolainen as the 4th D only to leave 2 superior defensemen exposed? Please.

Do you really think Buffalo would expose Ristolainen? Seattle would select him in a heartbeat. If Jason Botterill and the Sabres were that desperate to get rid of Ristolainen, he would have been traded by now. I just couldn't see Buffalo protecting Colin Miller over Ristolainen. I'm not sure who the other "superior" defenceman would be on Buffalo's exposed list? I went 4-4 (8-1) for Buffalo, but I did consider 7-3, which would have exposed Ristolainen in order to protect Johansson, Olofsson and Asplund. But, again, I just couldn't justify losing Ristolainen for nothing.

 

[Larry Fisher]

No offense but it seems like a mistake to have wasted your time with this as this is pure fantasy land, no information can be gained from an exercise like this. It would be more compelling if you at least tried to project rosters down the line, but even that is still useless at the moment

I felt it was better practice to focus on the present — with known rosters and current player evaluations — than to project rosters down the line considering all the turnover that will happen between now and then with the actual expansion draft two full seasons away. Rosters will be much different — just look at Chicago's turnover in a calendar year — and player evaluations will also change drastically by 2021.

So I felt this "fantasy land" series of mocks would paint a better/more realistic picture of what Seattle could look like for the upcoming season if the expansion draft was being held today. Next summer I will publish another series of mocks projecting the actual Seattle roster — as I did for Vegas. But the only "realistic" mocks will be those published after the 2021 trade deadline when rosters are closer to being set. Even then, there will be lots of trades and moves made following the Stanley Cup Final in the week leading up to the expansion draft in June 2021.

If you like mocks, there will be plenty more coming between now and then. Practice makes perfect!

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think it's best to temper expectations. Even though Vegas was good out of the gate, it's likely Seattle will be bad

 

[kingsholygrail]

Didn't we just have this thread with this same article?

 

[Soundgarden]

I think it's best to temper expectations. Even though Vegas was good out of the gate, it's likely Seattle will be bad

They won't make the finals, but the players being exposed are a lot better than they were 20 years ago. I fully expect them to be in contention for the playoffs, even if that means a wildcard spot.

 

[Larry Fisher]

Didn't we just have this thread with this same article?

No. I did a three-part series mocking three different teams for Seattle: win now, future, and BPA (best players available). This is the latter, the finale to that series.

 

[ToDavid]

Unlikely we hang on to both Muzzin and Barrie next summer. It will be either/or. Dermott will be the third protected defenseman.

Edit: nvm, didn't realize they were basing everything on current rosters.

 

[kingsholygrail]

No. I did a three-part series mocking three different teams for Seattle: win now, future, and BPA (best players available). This is the latter, the finale to that series.

Ah, they were all just Campbell from the Kings. lol

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I felt it was better practice to focus on the present — with known rosters and current player evaluations — than to project rosters down the line considering all the turnover that will happen between now and then with the actual expansion draft two full seasons away. Rosters will be much different — just look at Chicago's turnover in a calendar year — and player evaluations will also change drastically by 2021.

So I felt this "fantasy land" series of mocks would paint a better/more realistic picture of what Seattle could look like for the upcoming season if the expansion draft was being held today. Next summer I will publish another series of mocks projecting the actual Seattle roster — as I did for Vegas. But the only "realistic" mocks will be those published after the 2021 trade deadline when rosters are closer to being set. Even then, there will be lots of trades and moves made following the Stanley Cup Final in the week leading up to the expansion draft in June 2021.

If you like mocks, there will be plenty more coming between now and then. Practice makes perfect!

Good explanation, I love mocks so I hope you at least had a lot of fun doing this.

 

[Prairie Habs]

If the draft was held this year Montreal wouldn't need to protect koktaniemi, mete, or juulsen. That means they could protect byron, petry, and kulak. Probably results in armia being taken.

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

The Capitals are not exposing Samsonov.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think the Flames will go 4+4

Protecting Monahan, Gaudreau, Lindholm, Tkachuk, Giordano, Hanifin, Andersson and Valimaki.

So maybe losing Mikael Backlund?

edit: Just realized they would have to protect Valimaki