Sportster's Vegas list: Likely Expansion Casualty

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Link is here: http://www.thesportster.com/hockey/drafting-the-las-vegas-golden-knights-roster-every-nhl-teams-most-likely-expansion-casualty/
Not actually agreeing with their list, just sharing in a more palatable format for discussion.


(not putting players in actual lines, just positionally where they would fit)

5 LW
Neal LW (Nashville)
Pouliot LW (Edmonton)
Hagelin LW (Pittsburgh)
McGinn LW (Arizona)
Drouin LW (TB)

7 C
Kruger C (Chicago)
Ryan Strome (NYI)
Brandon Pirri C (NYR)
Athanasiou C (Detroit)
Danault C (Montreal)
Holland C (Toronto)
Perreault C (Winnipeg)

6 RW
Silfverberg RW (Anaheim)
Stempniak RW (Carolina)
Weise RW (Philadelphia)
Yakupov RW (St. Louis)
Derek Dorsett RW (Vancouver)
Beagle RW (Washington)

8 D
J. Johnson D (Columbus)
Braun D (SJ)
Lovejoy D (NJ)
Scandella D (Minnesota)
Jokipakka D (Calgary)
C. Miller D (Boston)
McNabb D (LA)
Lindell D (Dallas)

4 G
Reimer G (Florida)
Driedger G (Ottawa)
Ullmark G (Buffalo)
Pickard G (Colorado)

Click to read more...

 

[Soundgarden]

Awful. Why the hell would Nashville protect Craig Smith and Colin Wilson instead of James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson? Smith's played like waiver fodder this year, he's been awful.

Don't think Ducks fans will be happy if they see this either.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Drieger from Ottawa?

Lol.

 

[Northern Knights]

I'm pretty sure Reimer will be protected.

 

[The Duck Knight]

Awful. Why the hell would Nashville protect Craig Smith and Colin Wilson instead of James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson? Smith's played like waiver fodder this year, he's been awful.

Don't think Ducks fans will be happy if they see this either.

I actually think it's quite funny when people put so much time and yet so little thought into these expansion draft projections. Just goes to show some people aren't exactly the experts they so often think they are.

Drouin exposed too?

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Drieger from Ottawa?

Lol.

Sens GM trying to stir up some hype...

Not convinced Pickard will be exposed. Makes no sense to protect Varlamov and expose Pickard.

 

[VanIslander]

Hagelin LW (Pittsburgh)
Perreault C (Winnipeg)
Silfverberg RW (Anaheim)

J. Johnson D (Columbus)
Scandella D (Minnesota)

Pickard G (Colorado)

I'd be happy with these as a starting-6!

(At least for a week, until free agency )

 

[Ingvar]

That's an awful list. No way some of these players will be unprotected.

 

[Headshot77]

James Neal should definitely be protected.

 

[GKG18]

This dude can't write. I didn't even finish this garbage.

 

[BlueBaron]

Last I checked we don't own Holland.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Last I checked we don't own Holland.

I was going to dump on some of the completely inexplicable players that would never be left unprotected...but really this is all that needs to be said about it. Peter Holland plays for the Arizona Coyotes.

He's not just property of the Arizona Coyotes, he played for them last night...as he has since early December.

 

[HanSolo]

I can't see the Ducks exposing Silfverberg right as he's starting to find his offensive game.

 

[JuniorNelson]

What seems evident to me with this list is how weak the available centers are. It is the shallowest part of the pool!

LV best bet is offer sheeting RFAs. Vancouver and Edmonton both have unsigned RFA centers worth considering.

 

[jwhouk]

I'm pretty sure Neal will be protected by the Preds. Wilson, Smith, or Jarnkrok, kids.

 

[Headshot77]

What seems evident to me with this list is how weak the available centers are. It is the shallowest part of the pool!

LV best bet is offer sheeting RFAs. Vancouver and Edmonton both have unsigned RFA centers worth considering.

I'd definitely not do that because you'll give up multiple first or second round picks in the process. Picks should be treated like gold to the Golden Knights. This draft has tons of center prospects in the top 5-7. Trade up and get two of them.

 

[HanSolo]

What seems evident to me with this list is how weak the available centers are. It is the shallowest part of the pool!

LV best bet is offer sheeting RFAs. Vancouver and Edmonton both have unsigned RFA centers worth considering.

What better way to burn futures a new team desperately needs and enfuriate all the other GMs by sending out offer sheets.

 

[airbus220]

Last I checked we don't own Holland.

My God, you have to get him back.

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

Awful list.

I'll say for my team, 0% chance MTL protect Plekanec over Danault; Danault is younger, cheaper and simply a better player.

The Toronto pick alone shows how poorly of a list this is.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Driedger from Ottawa isn't that farfetched if Vegas isn't taking Phaneuf (assuming he waives for strategic reasons) or Ryan. But it is still very unlikely.

Wideman or Burrows would be the best skaters exposed in that case. Driedger will be waiver exempt for another two (?) seasons so they can get a possible future starting goalie who they don't have to worry about rushing. Not having to be put on waivers to be sent down really would increase his value. Vegas might have trouble finding goalies in Driedger's age range who they think have starting potential that won't be subject to waivers.

I would call it a very very darkhorse pick where numerous outside factors would have to take place for it to even happen. According to Bruce Garrioch (Sens beat writer) Vegas likes Chris Wideman who is a puck moving RD that could potentially quarterback their PP. Regardless what happens, Wideman will be exposed.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Yeah zero chance that Detroit exposes Andreas Athanasiou.

 

[Nightslyr]

Why would the Bruins expose Colin Miller when he's blossomed into a solid 2nd pairing defenseman with upside? And yet the author thinks that Jimmy fraking Hayes will be protected? That McQuaid will be protected?

LMFAO

 

[indigobuffalo]

I'm pretty sure Reimer will be protected.

Lulongo it is!

 

[Northern Knights]

Lulongo it is!

While I do think Luongo will be exposed, I doubt Vegas would take him. They'll be looking for younger goalies.

 

[Agalloch]

The article was written last November.