Speculation: 2021 Seattle Expansion Protection Exposure Roster Speculation Thread Part 1

I think teams pay to get Seattle to take a contract off their hands like Vancouver could with Eriksson.

I don't think teams are going to be paying to protect a certain player. If you had to go 4-4-1, how valuable is that 5th forward. A lot will depend on contracts, as teams have had time to prepare for the ED and didn't give out NMC to non top end players. So, if a name player has term left, that player could be exposed rather than get protected.

 

Unless we trade for a defenseman that's under contract next year, one of Myers/Schmidt has to be exposed. I dont trust Benning to not expose Schmidt

 

If the Canucks finish with a top 8 pick before the lottery I don’t see Aquaman bringing Benning back.

remember he tweeted that the dark days are at and end in the offseason before the 19-20 season? Can’t be happy seeing all of the bad contracts Benning signed being the cause of their downfall this season.

 

Juolevi would fill that requirement if he plays 13 more games, Chatfield 18 more. Benn or Hamonic, if they re-sign, would fill the requirement (either one at ~$1-1.5m for next season would be worth having).

 

See what the tdl brings. Edler, Benn, and Hamonic are ufa.

If they move guys out they may end up taking a contract back that meets the requirements.

TB likely is leaving McDonaugh available. They likely go 4-4-1 to also protect Foote who is eligible like Lind is. End up protecting Kuch, Stamkos, Point and Cirelli.
Leaving all of Palat, Gourde, Johnson, Killorn, etc available.

likely if a veteran is chosen it is likely to be Palat. 30 with 2 years left on his contract. Someone they could move at the tdl for assets to a contender.

so could see some big names left exposed. I mean would Nashville leave Duchene and the final 5 years of his $8 mill per available?

will be some good vets available. Just that some of them will have a high cap hit for too long a term for Seattle to want. Myers may be in that category.

 

Zero chance Edler will waive this NMC imho. Though that wouldn’t be out of character for a Benning to treat long tenured Canucks that way.

 

EP
Hughes
Boeser
Horvat
Miller
Hoglander
Schmidt
Demko

regardless of exceptions, those are the only ones worth protecting.

Hence why this management group should be looking to acquire players who are good and might be exposed.

instead, they likely extend Sutter and Pearson and remain utter shit.

 

They don’t have the cap space to extend them barring massive discounts.

between replacing Pearson and Sutter with a cheap contract for like $2 mill combined that allows them $6 mill of freed up cap space to shift to Petey. Add in the Spooner buyout that puts you at $7 mill to shift to give Petey upwards of $8 mill in cap space if needed. Edler and Benn if replaced with cheap contracts frees up $6 mill for Hughes so that he could upwards of $7 mill. But still need to extend Demko around $2.5-$3 mill depending on how he finishes the season. Blackwood got $2.8 on a 3 year deal as a comparison.

Canucks need to move their ufas for picks.

Edler he has the nmc so completely up to him what he wants to do. Given the pandemic I fully get not wanting to leave. Edler isn’t Kesler who would leave for a chance at the cup. If he doesn’t waive that is his right.

canucks could then later use the picks to get guys who can’t be protected.

 

Add Motte to this list

 

Assuming Seattle takes three goalies, I have a hard time believing one of those isn't Holtby - though I may need to research who else will be projected to be exposed.

 

Holtby has 1 year left. Looking around the NHL, you’d have Riitich, Allen as North goalies who could be a starter. Andersen in Toronto is a ufa.
West, Quick, Jones, Miller, Fleury, khudobin, Talbot in the west as I believe teams would put their veteran out there.
Central and East I would think Varlamnov as I think the isles wouldn’t mind losing the contract. Jarry from Pitt.
A lot of veteran goalies will be ufa like Rinne, Binnington, Andersen, etc.

rules do dictate that Seattle has to claim players who would combine for a certain total cap hit. Something around $50 mill give or take is the range.

 

I know people won’t believe this, but GM’s are dumb, will look at Myers and how Green uses him and the minutes he plays and will want to select him.

it’s unfortunate we will never expose him.

 

There are going to be so many better options. Allen, Francouz, Campbell, Merzlikins/Korpisalo, etc.

 

I highly, highly, doubt they will take Holtby. He hasn't been good for like 3 and a half years.

There are much more interesting backup/platoon options.

 

REMINDER

You CAN change your vote UP until the Seattle draft expansion sometime in July. So change as you feel I cant stress that enough

 

Vegas wanted Fleury and Pittsburgh still had to pay a 2nd round pick plus for him.

Holtby I think will be less desirable as his play has regressed and he isn’t a marketable star like Fleury.

 

Plenty of current starters will be UFA. Merzlikins is exempt thus CBS could protect Korpisalo. Grubauer is UFA, so Avs could protect someone else.

Allen has term, and is a platoon goalie vs a legit starter.

So, really, plenty of options available for Seattle depending on how they want to setup their goaltending. I don't foresee them getting a younger guy from the ED who could grow into that spot.

 

I think that comes down to Pittsburgh being desperate and failing to call Vegas' bluff.

However, Fleury was a lot more desirable at the time than Holtby is now, so not the same situation.

 

One of Bishop or Khudobin (2 more years at 3.33 might be a good option to platoon with younger goalie) as well.