Speculation: Sabres Expansion draft protection thread

[La Cosa Nostra]

I would have preferred Ennis being exposed but I'm nit going to fret over Carrier being available. He's a solid bottom 6 player who can max out as a middle 6 guy scoring 10-12 goals a season. But the people who were projecting him as the top line LW were definitely overrating him. He's a solid player but he isn't a top 6 forward period. He can be a solid player even on a cup contender but he's going to be playing on the bottom 2 lines playing 12/13 minutes a night maximum. Still valuable but not nearly as valuable as some make him out to be. This is a new regime. They are going to rate him accordingly. However Murray viewed him or where Bylsma played him in the lineup is completely irrelevant. It's a good thing that Carrier will be in our bottom 6, it means someone better is above him in the lineup.

 

[toomuchsauce]

Are you unaware that until Wed, teams can make trades with Vegas and only Vegas? Who said there's any secret deals? Trades apparently won't be announced until Wed at the Awards/Show/Whatever thing. Vegas picks one of the unprotected players, who that actually is can depend on deals made over the next 2 days, what's so hard to understand?

Not to be a jerk about it, but that was the point. Yes, Vegas can make deals. But, no, nothing meaningful is happening. Vegas is going to pick the best players available. There are no deals. Okay, maybe there's some kind of secret deal with Anaheim to NOT select one particular defenseman, because all of the reporters keep saying it, but wtf - this is extremely esoteric.

Are we literally assuming now that every team has a super-secret deal with Vegas to "NOT" select the vaguely good player that you left exposed because your team has a super secret deal with them not to take that player? Does this not apply to virtually every team in the league? This is all marketing ********. Every team loses one player. Honest question here: who gives a ****?

 

[brian_griffin]

Not to be a jerk about it, but that was the point. Yes, Vegas can make deals. But, no, nothing meaningful is happening. Vegas is going to pick the best players available. There are no deals. Okay, maybe there's some kind of secret deal with Anaheim to NOT select one particular defenseman, because all of the reporters keep saying it, but wtf - this is extremely esoteric.

Are we literally assuming now that every team has a super-secret deal with Vegas to "NOT" select the vaguely good player that you left exposed because your team has a super secret deal with them not to take that player? Does this not apply to virtually every team in the league? This is all marketing ********. Every team loses one player. Honest question here: who gives a ****?

It is plausible that LVGK selecting the best player available ends up with too many players at position X and not enough at position Y. Or that LVGK would be foolish to select MAF when a cheaper goalie could be had from another team allowing LVGK to instead take Hagelin for his speed and pain in the butt to play against style.

I agree this is not as secret as Animal House's Dean Wormer's Double Secret Probation scheme for the Delta house, but I bet there are 8-10 deals made. 1/4 - 1/3 of the clubs total.

The expansion draft provides a unique/rare opportunity for LVGK to be an intermediary in deals between unwilling trading partners, or to establish a market value which otherwise wouldn't exist.

 

[wunderpanda]

Botts had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to protect that many players.

 

[Ace]

It will be interesting to see if we get in a bidding war for someone's D to flip out way. DeHaan, Scandella/Dumba if they aren't a part of a deal (let's not even pretend on Vatanen/Manson...tho Vatanen I bet gets dealt after the expansion draft). You'd have to imagine the price will be nuts

Botterill already utilized the expansion draft to his advantage once picking up Beaulieu on the cheap because Montreal couldn't protect him and we could.

 

[Sabretip]

Bogo is going to be so much better next year.

As long as it's for another team - his Buffalo experiment is over....

I am guessing Ennis will be given a chance to redeem himself and has the speed to produce in the right offence. Management must not be concerned about his cap hit.

Why would anyone take on Ennis' contract?

Exactly - which is why exposing him would have been as low risk as exposing Moulson, Gorges and Bogosian. Vegas won't throw away cap space on any of them. I suspect the Knights will take either Carrier or Ullmark.

If they select any of the 3 high-priced veterans, it'd shock me - as would Vegas choosing to sign Kulikov like NHLN suggested.

 

[thomas vanek]

Not to be a jerk about it, but that was the point. Yes, Vegas can make deals. But, no, nothing meaningful is happening. Vegas is going to pick the best players available. There are no deals. Okay, maybe there's some kind of secret deal with Anaheim to NOT select one particular defenseman, because all of the reporters keep saying it, but wtf - this is extremely esoteric.

Are we literally assuming now that every team has a super-secret deal with Vegas to "NOT" select the vaguely good player that you left exposed because your team has a super secret deal with them not to take that player? Does this not apply to virtually every team in the league? This is all marketing ********. Every team loses one player. Honest question here: who gives a ****?

George McPhee LITERALLY SAID HE WOULD TALK TO EVERY SINGLE TEAM ABOUT MAKING EXACTLY THIS SORT OF DEAL, IF THEY SO DESIRED.

 

[jc17]

Any chance that VGK taking Ullmark increases Cal Peterson's chances of singing here?

 

[Ace]

He's not coming.

 

[CaseyMitts37]

Any chance that VGK taking Ullmark increases Cal Peterson's chances of singing here?

I doubt it, it seems like he already has his mind set

 

[Baccus]

Not to be a jerk about it, but that was the point. Yes, Vegas can make deals. But, no, nothing meaningful is happening. Vegas is going to pick the best players available. There are no deals. Okay, maybe there's some kind of secret deal with Anaheim to NOT select one particular defenseman, because all of the reporters keep saying it, but wtf - this is extremely esoteric.

Are we literally assuming now that every team has a super-secret deal with Vegas to "NOT" select the vaguely good player that you left exposed because your team has a super secret deal with them not to take that player? Does this not apply to virtually every team in the league? This is all marketing ********. Every team loses one player. Honest question here: who gives a ****?

So no deals, except for the deals....

There will be deals. You don't think Vegas is getting calls at the minimum to see what they want to select & flip one of the Ducks or Wild's defensemen?

Nobody is assuming every team has a deal, or that it's "super-secret" what point are you making other then you apparently don't care about the expansion draft and it's associated deals?

The NHL draft is coming up next, I suppose nobody should care about that because everybody gets 7 draft choices and there won't be any super-secret deals! It's all marketing!

 

[Dirty Dog]

You all won't be able to convince me there even is a Vegas team coming. Another team in the desert, but this one with a transient population?

Yea ok LOL. Like that will ever happen.

 

[Reddawg]

Any chance that VGK taking Ullmark increases Cal Peterson's chances of singing here?

I wasn't even aware he could sing. Anthem controversy with Doug next season?

 

[gallagt01]

If Bogo is the pick, I'm incredibly interested to see what they do at RD this offseason. That would leave Risto as the only righty on the roster (with Antipin also playing RD).

 

[MLH]

I would assume Buffalo would give up #8 for their preference of Vatanen/Manson. I'd also assume Vegas would prefer 2017 #8 overall over Anaheim's 2018 1st rounder + a B prospect as is being speculated by Anaheim fans. Since it seems like McPhee locked in a deal with the Ducks a while ago, one of those assumptions must be way off.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Anyone have a list of who LV takes?
(G)
Fleury
Neuvrith
Subban
(D)
De Haan
Oleksiak
Johnson
Dumba
McNabb
Reinhart
Riemsdyk
Manson
Bogosian
(F)
Ryan
Stempniak
Perron
Neal
Brouwer
Soderberg
Plekanec
Ward
Rychel
Gaunce
Matthias
Burmistrov
Dano
Sissons
Lindberg
Shaw
Marchessault
Karlsson

Probably missed a team somewhere. Is there an expansion mock draft thread?

 

[Reddawg]

Anyone have a list of who LV

I just did a mock on CapFriendly, this was my result:

I don't think the goalies will go exactly that way, but I feel good about the rest.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

I just did a mock on CapFriendly, this was my result:

I don't think the goalies will go exactly that way, but I feel good about the rest.

I am sure there is deals in place to protect Vatanen and Dumba maybe a few others making it almost impossible to get it right.

 

[Icicle]

Edmonton has such garbage available. It's impressive really.

With Mrazek available I have a very hard time seeing MAF being picked. Pittsburgh's other exposed players are too useful. Not sure I like Detroit's exposed list outside of goalie.

 

[Reddawg]

I am sure there is deals in place to protect Vatanen and Dumba maybe a few others making it almost impossible to get it right.

Yeah, there's no way I can accurately account for that so I just picked players mostly as though no deals exist. I think Anaheim would make a deal to protect Manson rather than Vatanen though, so I chose accordingly.

 

[ZZamboni]

Anyone have a list of who LV takes?

https://www.nhl.com/news/expansion-mock-draft-matt-dumba-mark-methot-on-list-for-vegas-golden-knights/c-289977476?tid=289242400

as good as any

 

[Chainshot]

https://www.nhl.com/news/expansion-mock-draft-matt-dumba-mark-methot-on-list-for-vegas-golden-knights/c-289977476?tid=289242400

as good as any

Interestingly that article references two trades that facilitate player protection for their respective teams. The idea that there will not be any side deals is ridiculous when there is already evidence of several happening

 

[Jim Bob]

http://ingoalmag.com/news/top-vegas-options-among-expansion-exposed-goalie-lists/

Linus Ullmark/Malcolm Subban

Vegas needs goaltenders for the AHL too, and selecting more than two goalies that require waivers doesn’t make much sense since other teams know they can claim one before the season starts. With Korpisalo reportedly off the market, Ullmark appears to be the next best option, in part because he does not need waivers to be sent down this season, but also because the 23-year-old, 6-foot-4 Swede has looked good in 21 NHL appearances over the past two seasons, posting a .913 save percentage. Subban may not be quite as attractive because he requires waivers but the athletic 23-year-old Boston Bruins prospect does have a skill set Prior has prioritized in past drafts with the Capitals and is unlikely to get claimed on the way down to the AHL after being passed in the Bruins organization by Zane McIntyre this season, so several goalie observers have speculated he might be a good project for Vegas.

 

[brian_griffin]

Interestingly that article references two trades that facilitate player protection for their respective teams. The idea that there will not be any side deals is ridiculous when there is already evidence of several happening

Adding the cap numbers and arbitrarily assigning $2.222M to each of the 7 RFA players (don't know if that's a reasonable avg. value or not), puts the total at $73.2M. So it works, on paper, without any side deals for players moving to other teams happening.

Who knows what will happen, but that particular NHL.com scenario is plausible.

 

[5 Minute Major]

I am sure there is deals in place to protect Vatanen and Dumba maybe a few others making it almost impossible to get it right.

I don't see it. Anaheim and Minnesota will lose one of those defenseman. They certainly may have a deal in place to protect one of them but not both.