This is what I read on NHL.com:
"* One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons."
I think Olli Maatta would fulfill that requirement if the Kings kept Clague under 40 games. I don't think Clague gets exposed if the Kings don't want him exposed.
Nope. The only way Clague doesn't get exposed is if the Kings protect him.
Here are all the rules for who is eligible:
Seattle 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rules same as Golden Knights followed
Current NHL teams can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goalie, under the following conditions.
- All players with no movement clauses at the time of the draft, and who decline to waive those clauses, must be protected and will be counted toward their team's applicable protection limits.
- All first- and second-year NHL players, and all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward protection limits.
In addition, all NHL teams must meet the following
minimum requirements regarding players exposed for selection in the draft:
- One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- Two forwards who are a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- One goalie who is under contract in 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent at the end of his current contract immediately prior to 2021-22. If a team elects to make a restricted free agent goalie available to meet this requirement, that goalie must have received his qualifying offer prior to the submission of the team's protected list.
- Players with potential career-ending injuries who have missed more than the previous 60 consecutive games (or who otherwise have been confirmed to have a career-threatening injury) may not be used to satisfy a team's player exposure requirements unless approval is received from the NHL. Such players also may be deemed exempt from selection.
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Any player who doesn't have a no movement clause and who isn't a first- or second-year pro (and in this case, pro means AHL or NHL) is eligible to be selected.
So let's imagine that we go 8/1 and protect Kopitar, Iafallo, Kempe, Andersson, Doughty, Maatta, Walker, Roy, and Petersen. That means that Seattle can select one of the following players:
F: Brown, Carter, Wagner, Lizotte, Moore, Imama, Rymsha, Grundstrom, Frk, Luff, Eyssimont, Amadio
D: MacDermid, Clague, Strand, Moverare, Alt, Brickley
G: Quick, Grosenick
In this scenario, I would guess that Seattle takes one of Wagner or Lizotte.
This assumes that two forwards and one defenseman meet the eligibility requirements. A few players are real close. Brown needs 4 games, Carter needs 10, Lizotte and Wagner both need 5, Amadio needs 2. So forward is likely covered. On defense, MacDermid would need 25 games next season or one of Clague, Strand, Moverare, Alt, or Brickley would need 40. We likely see MacDermid play in 25 games in order to be eligible, unless the plan for LA is to expose one of Maatta or Walker (which is possible). We are set in net, exposing Quick.
Alternatively, if we go 7/3/1 and protect Kopitar, Iafallo, Kempe, Wagner, Lizotte, Andersson, Grundstrom, Doughty, Walker, Roy, and Petersen, then Seattle can select one of the following players:
F: Brown, Carter, Moore, Imama, Rymsha, Frk, Luff, Eyssimont, Amadio
D: Maatta, MacDermid, Clague, Strand, Moverare, Alt, Brickley
G: Quick, Grosenick
In this scenario, I would imagine that Seattle takes Maatta (or Walker if protect Maatta instead).
We can think of it this way: Anyone who left juniors or college three or more years ago is eligible to be selected. Clague's last season in the WHL was in 2017-18, so he turned pro for the 2018-19 season (year 1), then played 2019-20 in the AHL (year 2), and will play next season in the AHL or NHL as well (year 3). Whereas a player like Cole Hults, who is older than Clague, just finished his NCAA career and is thus turning pro this coming season and is therefore exempt.
That's how I see things shaking out anyway.
