The NHL has to make the next expansion draft better

[Stonewall]

Sorry if this is too early, but Vegas' lineup is terrible:

Marchessault - Shipachyov - Neal
Perron - Eakin - R. Smith
W. Karlsson - Haula - Lindberg
Carrier - Bellemare - Thorburn

McNabb - Theodore
Schmidt - C. Miller
Emelin - Garrison

Fleury
Pickard

They have almost no star power and no depth. Even if Gusev comes to the NHL or they sign Radulov, they are still going to be at at the bottom of the standings for awhile. Part of the problem is the expansion draft. Teams were allowed to protect 7F - 3D - 1G or 4F - 4D - 1G... most teams chose the first option, and either way that left almost no good players for LV to take.

I think the solution for the next expansion draft is to significantly lower the number of protectable players, say to 3F - 3D - 1G

This would allow the next expansion team to be competitive right away. Would it be fair to Vegas? No, but it would be beneficial to the league.

Click to read more...

 

[Rich Nixon]

No, they have to not have George McPhee as the GM of the next expansion team. He had every opportunity to let teams make tough decisions so he could assemble a legitimate NHL team. Instead he decided to tank and run a charity on the side.

I know, "the only reason why x was exposed was because they made a deal!" Well, maybe force the team to expose a decent player instead of taking a random 3rd round pick in 2063 and a 4th liner. You can probably do better than a 3rd-5th by just seriously pursuing good college free agents and using a couple of the actual decent players you got in the expansion draft at the trade deadline. If you want a bunch of midrounders, you can get them without being utterly noncompetitive.

It's just frustrating. I think there's a way to build without being utter garbage. McPhee thinks he's a genius, but probably has a lower batting average than the HF collective.

 

[Reddawg]

If anything, McPhee let the league out of a very embarrassing assortment of riches heading for the desert to start the 16-17 season.

A 10yo hockey fan could have taken the list of names that were available to him on CapFriendly and assembled a playoff-bound team out of it. McPhee clearly decided on two things: 1. To build an organization that would thrive in the future, rather than an NHL club that would contend immediatley. 2. Not to take advantage of the broad power he was given by the league to snipe excellent quality players from teams that had little recourse other than to deal their way out of trouble.

At the end of the day, he built a good foundation for the future without upsetting the apple cart that is the NHL GM's old-boy network. He did a good job.

 

[wingman75]

Expansion teams should not be great out of the gate imo.

I think Vegas was given every opportunity to select the team they wanted, and we have to assume they did.

I like this format, as it does make the entire league react and has created quite a flurry of action.

 

[n00bxQb]

6F-3D-1G is more than fair, honestly.

Anyone who isn't eligible for waivers shouldn't need to be protected.

 

[Crede777]

Already it's started.

The problem wasn't the expansion draft process, it was that picks and prospects are FAR more valuable than roster players to an expansion team.

If you make the ED even more favorable next time, all you'll accomplish is getting that team even better/more picks and prospects. Their starting roster will still be rubbish.

Maybe the league should look into upping the salary floor for expansion teams in their 1st year. Maybe raise the cap for that team too. This would increase the team's competitiveness in the first year by requiring them to ice a roster with more expensive players on it. Teams looking to create cap space might be even more willing to consider trading expensive (older) guys who are a bit overpaid. And Vegas would be able to accommodate those moves.

In addition to the cost of purchasing the franchise, the owner would have to pay more on the team's 1st year roster. But hey, if they really want a team....

 

[TropicalAntarctica]

No, they have to not have George McPhee as the GM of the next expansion team. He had every opportunity to let teams make tough decisions so he could assemble a legitimate NHL team. Instead he decided to tank and run a charity on the side.

Correct.

McPhee very easily could have gotten his hands on the likes of Vatanen, Dumba, de Haan and could have easily offersheeted talent like Draisaitl or Kuznetsov with the capspace, while extorting teams for more than just 2nd Round picks to get certain players

Of course that would mean he was gearing up for the here and now rather than what it looks like what he is doing, which is stocking up for a multi year "(re)build."

His line up very easily could have been...

xxxx - Shipyachov - Neal
Perron - Draisaitl - Smith
xxxx - Eakin - Marchessault
Hagelin - Karlsson - xxxx

Methot - Vatanen
de Haan - Dumba
Scmidt - Miller

Fleury

And furthermore, do we really want a team just coming in, poaching the players teams have worked hard to develop and scout and possibly set a team back five years after a decade of mediocrity or immediately shut an already closing window? Who cares if Vegas sucks. Every team has sucked at some point, and so will they. Why make them not suck dishonestly?

 

[Pennaduck]

They need to require an expansion team to have a farm system in place the year before they enter the league, and have them participate in the draft the year before as well. This gives them a headstart on developing prospects and might place less emphasis on swapping their entry draft selections to try to get 100 picks in their first draft year. It is obvious that even with these new rules that exposed a number of decent players, McPhee is still looking to build through the draft. Maybe you can curb some of that by letting them have two drafts under their belt before they take the ice.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Don't allow teams to protect any of their players. Instant contender.

 

[Lebowski]

Shouldn't allow expansion teams to swap the players they pick. It's just silly how quick of a rebuild Vegas will go through.

 

[StoneHands]

They're an expansion team. It takes a few years to get your feet under you and build your own identity. Almost every expansion team has sucked for a few years and McPhee knew that was their destiny when he made deals allowing him to pick 3 players in the top 15 of the draft this year and 10 more picks in the first 2 round over the next 3 drafts. Complaining before a team plays a single NHL game is the most 2017 thing I've ever seen on this site.

 

[ChiHawks10]

There were two ways for McPhee to go about his expansion draft in Vegas...

A. Grab up the best talent available off the other NHL rosters, and then compete immediately, while making some small trades, and solid picks in the draft in order to build the future of the club.

B. Allow teams to not only protect the players they wanted... but then offer deals to the other NHL teams to protect even more players so you can stockpile draft picks in order to completely build your best team from scratch through the draft, and some FA signings. The whole point of the protection system, and minimal players being protectable, is to allow Vegas the shot at some good talent right from the get-go, which IMO, became pointless. As teams protected their best, and then offered up 4th rounders and 3rd rounders in order to protect others that they couldn't actually protect with a slot. The "fringe protections" if you will.

He chose option B. And I think it defeated the entire purpose of the protection system, and making Vegas competitive out of the gate. It allowed players to retain everyone good that they wanted to keep, and gave Vegas mostly trash to choose from for their opening day, inaugural season roster.

To me... it became much less fun once it was obvious that teams were "protecting" players by offering up trade chips in picks and/or prospects. They were meddling in the process/whole purpose of the expansion draft, and I didn't like it. Just my opinion, though.

Can't fault him for wanting only his footprint on the organization, though. In a few years, he'll be able to say... "Hey, I drafted this entire team". And if they fail, it's on him and his staff. If they succeed, it's also on him and his staff. Simple as that.

 

[Volica]

It's really not on the NHL that Vegas drafted a weak team to tank for a few years.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Here's a quick way to a sweet expansion draft: require the next expansion team to hire Paul Holmgren as GM. Boom. Fire.

 

[Reddawg]

Coming out of the 2017 draft with Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom will ultimately prove McPhee's approach to the expansion draft was the correct one.

 

[bert]

Sorry if this is too early, but Vegas' lineup is terrible:

Marchessault - Shipachyov - Neal
Perron - Eakin - R. Smith
W. Karlsson - Haula - Lindberg
Carrier - Bellemare - Thorburn

McNabb - Theodore
Schmidt - C. Miller
Emelin - Garrison

Fleury
Pickard

They have almost no star power and no depth. Even if Gusev comes to the NHL or they sign Radulov, they are still going to be at at the bottom of the standings for awhile. Part of the problem is the expansion draft. Teams were allowed to protect 7F - 3D - 1G or 4F - 4D - 1G... most teams chose the first option, and either way that left almost no good players for LV to take.

I think the solution for the next expansion draft is to significantly lower the number of protectable players, say to 3F - 3D - 1G

This would allow the next expansion team to be competitive right away. Would it be fair to Vegas? No, but it would be beneficial to the league.

Uh they could have been competitive right away but they are trying to win a cup not be a middling team. I dont think McPhee maximized his assets as best he could but he was given a better situation than any expansion team of all time.

 

[jcbeze]

It's not smart to be competitive from the get-go. Losing aides winning in the near future. Unless your Edmonton, who were saved by McDavid, after spending far too long at the bottom....

 

[1989]

The thing I don't see mentioned often at all is which direction Vegas' ownership wanted to go. McPhee clearly had the green light to proceed in the fashion he did during this Expansion Draft - regardless of the sunk cost of the $500m plus the ongoing facility costs, player salaries, etc.

This is what the Vegas ownership was OK with as well as McPhee. Otherwise, we would have seen different results and a much stronger team. We don't have to like it as fans, of course (as competitive hockey is obviously the far more entertaining product) but this is what they opted for as a franchise and its direction from Day 1. Even if people want to say "well ownership shouldn't have a say in how a team is managed" this scenario is a little different from your "established franchise" model - the costs, which may easily exceed $1b overall (including merchandising agreements, marketing, etc.) would prompt many a businessman to urge for success ASAP I would believe.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Sorry if this is too early, but Vegas' lineup is terrible:

Marchessault - Shipachyov - Neal
Perron - Eakin - R. Smith
W. Karlsson - Haula - Lindberg
Carrier - Bellemare - Thorburn

McNabb - Theodore
Schmidt - C. Miller
Emelin - Garrison

Fleury
Pickard

They have almost no star power and no depth. Even if Gusev comes to the NHL or they sign Radulov, they are still going to be at at the bottom of the standings for awhile. Part of the problem is the expansion draft. Teams were allowed to protect 7F - 3D - 1G or 4F - 4D - 1G... most teams chose the first option, and either way that left almost no good players for LV to take.

I think the solution for the next expansion draft is to significantly lower the number of protectable players, say to 3F - 3D - 1G

This would allow the next expansion team to be competitive right away. Would it be fair to Vegas? No, but it would be beneficial to the league.

My god that's a horrific looking roster. James Neal is the only actual top six playing where he belongs.

The D is atrocious. I mean so bad my eyes bleed.

 

[ColdSteel2]

As has been said, McPhee royaly **** the bed and then danced around it like he had done something special.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

lol The draft rules have never been better for the expansion team.

It's not the league's fault McPhee continues to shoot himself in the foot.

 

[Henkka]

Don't allow teams to protect any of their players. Instant contender.

Hah.

2 forwards + 1 defenceman + 1 goalie protected. Chance to protect another utility player, if you won't protect a goalie. That would be nice.

Kind of:

Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Murray
Kane, Toews, Keith, Crawford
Kopitar, Carter, Doughty, Quick
etc.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Around the time of the MLB strike years ago players were complaining that they were getting no offers during free agency. The reason? All 30 owners got together and talked about not making salaries spiral out of control and to stick it to the players they colluded and worked together to stall the free agency process by hoping that they could lowball the players.

The NHL has constant issues with collusion and an old you scratch my back i will scratch your mentality that effects not just pro sports but all areas of business. George Mcphee has his buddies and he did not want to upset anyone so he agreed to take garbage deals to bail out his buddies and their bosses who signed terrible contracts to begin with.

Vegas could have been an expansion team that makes the playoffs. This is crucial right now as they have no competition from other leagues in their city right now. They need all the marketing and attention they need before the NFL moves in. Sacrifice the long term success of the team to have short term gains and get a foothold in the market and to limit the damage of the competing NFL team coming in next year.

Bad Strategy all around.

 

[Fugazy]

Coming out of the 2017 draft with Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom will ultimately prove McPhee's approach to the expansion draft was the correct one.

Exactly. He chose the stockpiling of prospects route. Can't really blame him with the haul he got.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Vegas could have built a good team with who was available, but they instead elected to make several (in some cases weird) side deals, bypassing some good players. They also stockpiled a ton of defense instead of targeting best player available. It's their own fault.