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Expansion Notes: No-Movement Clauses, 40/70, Protection Limits

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With the official announcement about the upcoming NHL expansion to Las Vegas coming on June 22nd, some information about the rules associated with an expansion draft has started to disseminate. The draft would be held at some point after the 2016-17 Stanley Cup Final, but before the July 1st free agency period. Here’s what we know thus far:

  • Eligibility is determined by how many professional seasons, as outlined by the CBA, a player has completed.  Anyone with two or fewer seasons will be exempt from the draft. This includes seasons in the American Hockey League, and means that any third-year professionals are eligible to be selected.
  • Each team will be allowed to protect seven forwards, three defencemen and one goaltender from the draft.
  • Players holding no-movement clauses that do not expire until after the 2017-18 season are automatically protected, and count against the totals.  Teams however will be allowed to ask a player to waive a NMC prior to the draft, making them eligible. If the clause expires after the 2016-17 season (like in the case of Calgary’s Dennis Wideman) they will not be guaranteed protection even though the draft will take place prior.
  • Each team must expose at least two forwards and one defenceman who has played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season, or a combined 70 games in the previous two. These players must also be under contract for the first expansion season.
  • Clubs have to expose at least one goaltender who is under contract for the first expansion season.
  • At least twenty of the expansion team’s thirty selections must be under contract for the first expansion season, and though they can trade anyone following the draft, a player may not return to the team he was selected from until January 1st.
  • There are going to be stiff penalties for any team who does not meet the requirements, in the form of picks or players.
  • Each team can only lose a maximum of one player, should there be just a single expansion team.  The new team has to select a certain number of players at each position, including a minimum of three goaltenders.
  • The new team cannot buy-out any player selected until after the first expansion season.

For teams like Pittsburgh, who have one goaltender with a NMC and another leading the team to the Stanley Cup Finals, some tough decisions will have to be made over the next year. Marc-Andre Fleury at the moment would force protection due to his no-movement clause, while playoff superstar Matt Murray will be eligible after what would be his third professional season.

In Winnipeg, both Toby Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien have NMCs that will run through 2017-18 taking up two of their three defenceman slots.  This means the Jets will have to expose one of their young defenders like Tyler Myers or Jacob Trouba if a deal isn’t struck between now and then.  Losing either of them would be a disaster for the Jets, as Myers was a big part of the return for Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian, while Trouba was the 9th overall pick in 2012.  Rumors have already started to swirl around Trouba, perhaps because of the issue facing Winnipeg down the road.

Situations like this present themselves all over the NHL, and though each team will only lose a single player, many will make moves to make sure their most prized assets remain untouchable. Here on Pro Hockey Rumors we’ll continue to breakdown potential draftees over the next year, giving you the inside scoop on who is available and who Las Vegas will select when they step to the podium for that draft next season.

Friedman’s Latest: Hartnell, Eriksson, Barrie

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Although the Montreal Canadiens failed to move up in the lottery last month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that they may try to make a deal to improve on their ninth overall pick.  After picking late in the first round the last three seasons, Montreal will try to replicate the success they’ve had with their last couple of top-10 picks.  In 2012 they selected Alex Galchenyuk third overall, and nailed Carey Price at number five way back in 2005. If Montreal wants to get back to the playoffs and have any chance at contention, they’ll have to improve through the draft.  Here’s more from Friedman’s latest 30 thoughts:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets interviewed quite a few players ahead of selecting third overall in the upcoming draft. With rumors swirling that they are already getting offers for the pick, perhaps they’re just covering their bases before one of these deals blows them away.
  • Still with Columbus, Friedman hears that there are trade rumblings around Scott Hartnell and that he is willing to waive his no-movement clause for several teams. Hartnell has three seasons at $4.75MM left on his deal, but put up another 20-goal season in 2015-16 and is a near-lock for 40 points at least for the immediate future.
  • On Loui Eriksson, Friedman says that Boston will take one final run at re-signing the winger before he becomes a free agent on July 1st.  If he makes it that far, expect a long list of suitors for the 30-year old after putting up an excellent 63 point campaign. He’s coming off a contract that earned him $4.25MM a season, and will look to improve on that number.
  • It seems certain that Avalanche defenceman Tyson Barrie will be on the move this summer, but perhaps not until Colorado secures some help on the back-end.  Their top target is Winnipeg Jets’ Jacob Trouba, who has played well since being drafted in 2012 and would take a fairly large ransom to pry away from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.
  • After acquiring Marc Savard’s cap hit on Friday, the New Jersey Devils are no longer a landing spot for the Pavel Datsyuk dilemma should he decide to go back to Russia.  According to Friedman this leaves only Carolina and Arizona as potential takers for the $7.5MM cap-hit he’ll incur since he signed his deal after he turned 35.
  • Since Florida now has some room following the jettison of Savard’s hit, they’ve turned their attention to extending Vincent Trocheck. The 22-year old is a restricted free agent this summer, and is coming off an impressive 53 point season.  With extensions for Aaron Ekblad and Reilly Smith due next year, Florida will have to keep Trocheck’s hit as low as possible if they’re to fit in all their young talent.
  • Arizona is reluctantly looking at options with C Martin Hanzal as he nears free agency.  While the Coyotes would like to re-sign him before he hits the market next summer, they are considering moving him and have asked for his list of teams he would accept a trade to.

What’s Next For The Calder Cup Champions?

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On Saturday night in exciting fashion the Lake Erie Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate, took home the Calder Cup for the first time in their history.  Up three games to none in the series against the Hershey Bears, the teams took a 0-0 tie into overtime before 21-year old Oliver Bjorkstrand iced the game with his playoff-leading tenth goal.  The finals sweep was the first of its kind since the Norfolk Admirals won in 2012, easily triumphing over the Toronto Marlies in four games.

Bjorkstrand took home the playoff MVP award, joining past winners such as Tomas Tatar, Robin Lehner and Carey Price. He’s carving out quite a playoff career thus far, having put up 77 points in 59 games throughout his time in junior to go with his 16 this season.

For head coach Jared Bednar, this not only is his first Calder Cup victory, it’s the first time an AHL team under his purview progressed past the first round.  Now carrying a strong .589 winning percentage through four seasons as an AHL head coach, he’ll surely start to get looks as a NHL boss soon enough.

If he does, he’ll be following in the footsteps of recent Calder Cup champions; Willie Desjardins took the Texas Stars to the Cup in 2014, and was immediately hired on by the Vancouver Canucks.  Jeff Blashill won with the powerhouse Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, and was the successor in Detroit after Mike Babcock left for Toronto. In 2012, Jon Cooper took the Norfolk Admirals all the way, winning 55 games in the regular season and taking home the championship.  Two seasons later he was behind the bench for Tampa, and has now taken them deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs in consecutive years.

For players like Bjorkstrand, their days on the the Monsters might be numbered.  After being selected in the third round by the Blue Jackets in 2013, Bjorkstrand returned to the WHL and finished an impressive junior career with 118 points in just 59 games, adding 25 more in 17 playoff contests. This season, he scored 17 goals for the Monsters in the regular season, and made a solid debut for the Blue Jackets, putting up 8 points in just 12 games with the big club.  He’ll look to break camp with the team as early as next season.

The other Monster making waves this postseason was 18-year old Zach Werenski, last season’s eighth overall pick.  After completing his season at the University of Michigan, the defenceman signed an amateur try-out with the Monsters, as to preserve his status for any future expansion drafts. His entry-level deal with the Jackets will kick in in 2016-17, keeping him a first year professional for that season.

Werenski played seven games down the stretch for the Monsters, before becoming one of their top performers in the playoffs.  His 14 points ranked him third overall on the Monsters and second among AHL defencemen trailing only Marlies’ standout Connor Carrick.

While Werenski played exceptionally these playoffs for the Monsters, he’ll be hard pressed to crack the roster this fall.  The Blue Jackets have seven defencemen under contract for next season, including young standouts Ryan Murray and Seth Jones.  With a lot of money tied up long-term at forward in players that aren’t providing much value, the Blue Jackets will need to rely on their young pipeline on the back end for the next few years.

Winning the Calder Cup is an outstanding achievement, and for Monsters’ captain Ryan Craig, it’s a long time coming.  Breaking in with Tampa Bay just after their 2004 Stanley Cup run, Craig has bounced up and down for the next decade, never securing a place in the NHL or repeating his strong rookie season of 28 points in 48 games.  Now 34, he’s a champion at the pro-level for the first time in his career.

You can bet teams will be scouring this roster for players as the season draws closer, betting that success in the AHL could lead to success for their big club. It’s a young, talented group, with six players above the age of 29. While Columbus didn’t have much success at the NHL level this season, they possess the third overall pick in this June’s entry draft after moving up in the lottery and may find themselves in a position to deal from a stocked cupboard in order to improve the team this season.

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