Top players ignored by Vegas at expansion draft?

Number 57

Registered User
Dec 21, 2004
11,629
2,255
Montreal
We all know Vegas had a lot of success right out of the gate and also accumulated a lot of key young players and draft picks at the expansion draft, so this is obviously not a thread to talk down on McPhee and his team.

I was just wondering if any team had left players exposed that are doing well right now and that maybe Vegas would like to have in their line-up? We're a long time removed from the draft now so surely some lesser known players have come through by now

I know on Montreal I was really surprised when Vegas took Emelin from us, a player with too high a cap hit for what he was able to do and not much trade value. The player they could/should have grabbed is Charles Hudon, an offensive minded winger with great hockey sense who posted 30 pts last season and turned 24 years old last summer.

Hudon is a bit burried on the Habs depth chart but he should still be able to get 35-40 pts with minimal ice time and looks to have solid offensive potential

Is Hudon the best player Vegas missed? Would they like to have him right now? Who else did they miss?
 

Balance

Jesus loves you!
May 20, 2013
2,568
1,106
Honestly it's pretty easy to miss at least 10 players that were better when you are selecting from 30 other teams. The problem with that logic is you are supposed to select the best team, not the best players.

Considering Vegas went to the SCF, they literally had the best expansion draft in sports history. I doubt anyone on HF could have done half as good as Vegas did during the draft.
 

CupInSIX

My cap runneth over
Jul 1, 2012
26,283
18,254
Alphaville
Emelin was turned into a very useful 3rd round pick so...no. No matter how many thousands upon thousands of times you talk up Charles 'the franchise' Hudon, and what an enormous, boneheaded, missed opportunity he was, he would have wound up like Leipsic on the outside looking in.

A more interesting thread would have been what the Habs would be like if they kept Subban and Sergachev.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stive Morgan

CupInSIX

My cap runneth over
Jul 1, 2012
26,283
18,254
Alphaville
charles hudon is a notable one. basically any oiler over griffin reinhart.

How is a 3rd liner (and that's being generous because he was more like a 13th forward the past 2 years) that they would have had to flip or put on waivers notable in any way, shape or form?

Because they turned Emelin into a 3rd. And they also got a 5th from Bergevin for Schlemko btw.
 

VoluntaryDom

Formerly DominicBoltsFan / Ⓐ / ✞
Oct 31, 2016
23,285
5,532
Tampa FL
How is a 3rd liner (and that's being generous because he was more like a 13th forward the past 2 years) that they would have had to flip or put on waivers notable in any way, shape or form?

Because they turned Emelin into a 3rd. And they also got a 5th from Bergevin for Schlemko btw.
hudon was more like a 2nd liner last season and hes still very young
 

airbus220

Registered User
Feb 19, 2012
3,872
56
Vegas took Emelin
The player they could/should have grabbed is Charles Hudon, an offensive minded winger

Can't easily choose a F instead of a D because there were restrictions.

But Pulkkinen instead of Domingue was a mistake.
Pulkkinen plays in Europe now and Domingue was great in Tampa.
 

Devil Dancer

Registered User
Jan 21, 2006
18,439
5,406
Despite the current suspension, they got the best Cap available (Nate Schmidt). The only other compelling option was Grubauer.
 

CupInSIX

My cap runneth over
Jul 1, 2012
26,283
18,254
Alphaville
I don't recall Grabner being available. It was Fast or Lindberg from what I remember.

hudon was more like a 2nd liner last season and hes still very young

24 is young for a forward?

2nd liner on one of the worst teams in the league last year. So what line is he on now?
 

Jee

uwu
Aug 25, 2006
29,944
12,543
Montréal
Emelin was turned into a very useful 3rd round pick so...no. No matter how many thousands upon thousands of times you talk up Charles 'the franchise' Hudon, and what an enormous, boneheaded, missed opportunity he was, he would have wound up like Leipsic on the outside looking in.

A more interesting thread would have been what the Habs would be like if they kept Subban and Sergachev.

Lmao did someone crap in your Cheerios this morning?
 
  • Like
Reactions: gab6511

CupInSIX

My cap runneth over
Jul 1, 2012
26,283
18,254
Alphaville
Lmao did someone crap in your Cheerios this morning?

Even worse. I opened up the cereal box & got a Charles Hudon wacky wallcrawler.

no like he actually had 2nd line results. dude is underrated.
"2nd liner"
giphy.gif


So what line does this fantastic player play on this season?
 

VoluntaryDom

Formerly DominicBoltsFan / Ⓐ / ✞
Oct 31, 2016
23,285
5,532
Tampa FL
Even worse. I opened up the cereal box & got a Charles Hudon wacky wallcrawler.


"2nd liner"
giphy.gif


So what line does this fantastic player play on this season?
the habs have a bazillion good wingers so not surprised about where he is in lineup
 

Garbage Goal

Registered User
Apr 1, 2009
22,699
4,591
Raffl is a better player than PEB, IIRC Raffl wasn't protected. PEB is a good 4th liner though in his own right.
 

Super Hans

Stats Evangelist
Oct 9, 2016
4,573
11,505
Somebody's read too many [Hudon / McCarron / De la Rose] + 2nd for a 1C threads.
 

mike14

Rampage Sherpa
Jun 22, 2006
17,664
10,611
Melbourne
I don't recall Grabner being available. It was Fast or Lindberg from what I remember.

Grabner was available but he would have been a UFA at the end of the season, so the conventional wisdom was that Vegas would choose between Fast and Lindberg, with Lindberg being the more likely choice due to being a center and having a pretty good end to the season.
Likewise Raanta was available, but they already had Fleury so there wouldn't have been much point in takng him
 

montreal

Go Habs Go
Mar 21, 2002
57,329
39,839
www.youtube.com
How is a 3rd liner (and that's being generous because he was more like a 13th forward the past 2 years) that they would have had to flip or put on waivers notable in any way, shape or form?.

how was he a 13th forward last year when he finished 6th in scoring for the Habs. I mean I know they sucked bad last year but he still outscored most of his teammates and if he didn't miss 10 games his ppg was on pace to put the same numbers as Byron so then only 5 players would have out produced him all while mostly playing with the black hole of offense as his center in Pleks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DominicBoltsFan

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->