Pretty sad that Vegas is exempt from the Seattle expansion draft.
Like they weren't given enough of a head start to begin with...
Vegas was not given an undue head start. If they got forwards who can score 30 or more, it's because certain other GMs were total idiots.
Every team could protect their best goalie, their 7 best forwards and their 3 best defencemen. Furthermore, their 1 and 2 year pros didn't have to be protected, and on top of that their expiring UFAs who were ready to re-sign after the draft didn't have to be protected. And if a good team had both an 8th best forward and a 4th best defenceman available, they could only lose one of the two.
Give Vegas credit and most of the other GMs demerit points for how they valued scorers as opposed to generic "safe" players, and derision is appropriate toward the GMs who, faced with the prospect of losing one player, managed to give away one or two more.
Columbus PAID Vegas EXTRA to take the guy who became their 40 goal scorer, Nashville CHOSE to let go one of their top 3 goal-scorers, and Florida protected average guys while letting go
their only 30 goal scorer and third top point getter (at age 25!!) because he was "too short", as if pucks that go in the net only count for a full goal if tall people score them. News flash: short people's goals DO NOT COUNT LESS!
Finally, Vegas didn't even get the first pick in the amateur draft, like expansion teams of old got.
Any GM who whines about what a free ride Vegas got should be fired.