2021 NHL expansion draft explained

2021 NHL expansion draft
Logosize:250px
Date:July 21, 2021
Location:Gas Works Park
Seattle, Washington
League:National Hockey League
Expansion Team:Seattle Kraken
Expansion Season:2021–22
Prev:2017

The 2021 NHL expansion draft was an expansion draft that was conducted by the National Hockey League (NHL) on July 21, 2021, to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 2021–22 season, the Seattle Kraken.

Background

On December 4, 2017, the Seattle City Council voted 7–1 to approve a memorandum of understanding between the city of Seattle and the Los Angeles–based Oak View Group, co-founded by Tim Leiweke,[1] for renovations of KeyArena. On December 7, the NHL's board of governors agreed to consider an expansion application from Seattle, with an expansion fee set at US$650 million.[2] The Seattle ownership group was represented by David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer, who conducted a preliminary season ticket drive to gauge interest in Seattle.[3]

On February 13, 2018, the Oak View Group filed an application with the NHL for an expansion team and paid a US$10 million application fee.[4] [5] At the time, the earliest the team could have begun playing was the 2020–21 season, pending the completion of arena renovations.[4]

On October 2, 2018, the NHL Executive Committee unanimously agreed to recommend the expansion bid to a vote of the Board of Governors in December.[6] [7] The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle's expansion team on December 4, 2018.[8]

Rules

Seattle followed the same rules for the draft as the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, with the provision that Vegas was exempted from losing a player in exchange for forgoing a share of the Kraken's expansion fee.[9] The 30 other teams submitted their lists of protected players on July 17. Teams could protect eight skaters and a goaltender, or seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goaltender; and they had to expose at least two forwards and one defenseman who were under contract for the 2021–22 season and played in at least 27 games in the 2020–21 season, or more than 54 games in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons combined.[10] Teams also had to expose a goaltender under contract for the 2021–22 season or who would be a restricted free agent (with a qualifying offer received) in 2021. Players who made their professional debuts in North America in the 2019–20 or 2020–21 seasons were not eligible to be picked, and such players were not needed be protected from expansion.

At least twenty of the thirty players selected by Seattle had to be under contract for the 2021–22 season, and the team was required to select a minimum of fourteen forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders.[11] Furthermore, the 2021–22 salaries of the thirty players selected (as measured in terms of what is counted against the salary cap, otherwise colloquially known as the "cap hit") had to add up to between 60% and 100% of the 2020–21 salary cap (i.e., the full nominal cap, not the prorated cap for the shortened 56-game season that was played). Seattle was granted a 48-hour window prior to the draft to sign any unprotected pending free agent (restricted or unrestricted, one per team). Teams that lost a player to Seattle during the signing window did not have a player selected from its roster during this draft as the signed player counted as Seattle's selection.

Teams were required to protect any contracted players with no move clauses (NMCs) with one of the team's slots for protected players, unless:

  1. The contract expired on July 28, 2021, in which case the NMC was considered void for the draft.
  2. The player with an NMC continuing past July 28, 2021, was deemed to have a career-threatening injury and is thus declared exempt from selection and use of a protection slot.[12]
  3. The player with an NMC waived his no-movement clause for the expansion draft.

Any player picked in the expansion draft cannot have his contract bought out until after the completion of the 2021–22 season.

Protected players

The protected players' list was published on July 18, 2021.

Eastern Conference

Italics: Players protected for contractual reasons.[13]

Position! width="140" scope="col"
BostonBuffaloDetroitFloridaMontrealOttawaTampa BayToronto
ForwardsPatrice BergeronRasmus AsplundTyler BertuzziAleksander BarkovJosh AndersonDrake BathersonAnthony CirelliMitch Marner
Charlie CoyleAnders BjorkAdam ErneSam BennettJoel ArmiaConnor BrownNikita KucherovAuston Matthews
Jake DeBruskJack EichelRobby FabbriAnthony DuclairJake EvansLogan BrownBrayden PointWilliam Nylander
Trent FredericCasey MittelstadtDylan LarkinPatric HornqvistBrendan GallagherNick PaulSteven StamkosJohn Tavares
Brad MarchandVictor OlofssonMichael RasmussenJonathan HuberdeauJesperi KotkaniemiBrady Tkachuk
David PastrnakSam ReinhartGivani SmithMason MarchmentArtturi LehkonenAustin Watson
Craig SmithTage ThompsonJakub VranaCarter VerhaegheTyler ToffoliColin White
DefensemenBrandon CarloRasmus DahlinFilip HronekAaron EkbladBen ChiarotThomas ChabotErik CernakT. J. Brodie
Matt GrzelcykHenri JokiharjuNick LeddyGustav ForslingJoel EdmundsonVictor MeteVictor HedmanJustin Holl
Charlie McAvoyRasmus RistolainenGustav LindstromMacKenzie WeegarJeff PetryNikita ZaitsevRyan McDonaghJake Muzzin
Mikhail SergachevMorgan Rielly
GoaltenderDaniel VladarLinus UllmarkThomas GreissSergei BobrovskyJake AllenFilip GustavssonAndrei VasilevskiyJack Campbell
Position! width="140" scope="col"
CarolinaColumbusNew JerseyNY IslandersNY RangersPhiladelphiaPittsburghWashington
ForwardsSebastian AhoCam AtkinsonJesper BrattMathew BarzalPavel BuchnevichNicolas Aube-KubelTeddy BluegerNicklas Backstrom
Jesper FastOliver BjorkstrandNico HischierAnthony BeauvillierFilip ChytilSean CouturierJeff CarterLars Eller
Warren FoegeleBoone JennerJanne KuokkanenCal ClutterbuckChris KreiderClaude GirouxSidney CrosbyEvgeny Kuznetsov
Jordan StaalPatrik LaineMichael McLeodAnders LeeArtemi PanarinKevin HayesJake GuentzelAnthony Mantha
Andrei SvechnikovGustav NyquistYegor SharangovichMatt MartinKevin RooneyTravis KonecnyKasperi KapanenT. J. Oshie
Teuvo TeravainenEric RobinsonMiles WoodBrock NelsonRyan StromeScott LaughtonEvgeni MalkinDaniel Sprong
Vincent TrocheckJack RoslovicPavel ZachaJean-Gabriel PageauMika ZibanejadOskar LindblomBryan RustTom Wilson
DefensemenBrett PesceVladislav GavrikovRyan GravesAdam PelechLibor HajekRyan EllisBrian DumoulinJohn Carlson
Brady SkjeiSeth JonesDamon SeversonRyan PulockRyan LindgrenIvan ProvorovKris LetangDmitry Orlov
Jaccob SlavinZach WerenskiJonas SiegenthalerScott MayfieldJacob TroubaTravis SanheimMike MathesonTrevor van Riemsdyk
GoaltenderAlex NedeljkovicJoonas KorpisaloMackenzie BlackwoodSemyon VarlamovAlexandar GeorgievCarter HartTristan JarryIlya Samsonov

Western Conference

Position! width="140" scope="col"
ArizonaChicagoColoradoDallasMinnesotaNashvilleSt. LouisWinnipeg
ForwardsLawson CrouseHenrik BorgstromAndre BurakovskyJamie BennJoel Eriksson EkFilip ForsbergIvan BarbashevKyle Connor
Christian DvorakAlex DeBrincatTyson JostRadek FaksaKevin FialaTanner JeannotJordan KyrouAndrew Copp
Conor GarlandBrandon HagelNazem KadriDenis GurianovMarcus FolignoLuke KuninRyan O'ReillyPierre-Luc Dubois
Clayton KellerDavid KampfNathan MacKinnonRoope HintzJordan GreenwayDavid PerronNikolaj Ehlers
Phil KesselPatrick KaneValeri NichushkinJoe PavelskiRyan HartmanBrayden SchennAdam Lowry
Johan LarssonDylan StromeLogan O'ConnorAlexander RadulovNico SturmOskar SundqvistMark Scheifele
Nick SchmaltzJonathan ToewsMikko RantanenTyler SeguinMats ZuccarelloRobert ThomasBlake Wheeler
DefensemenKyle CapobiancoCaleb JonesSam GirardMiro HeiskanenJonas BrodinAlexandre CarrierJustin FaulkJosh Morrissey
Jakob ChychrunConnor MurphyCale MakarJohn KlingbergMatt DumbaMattias EkholmTorey KrugNeal Pionk
Oliver Ekman-LarssonRiley StillmanDevon ToewsEsa LindellJared SpurgeonDante FabbroColton ParaykoLogan Stanley
Roman Josi
Philippe Myers
GoaltenderDarcy KuemperKevin LankinenPhilipp GrubauerAnton KhudobinCam TalbotJuuse SarosJordan BinningtonConnor Hellebuyck
Position! width="140" scope="col"
AnaheimCalgaryEdmontonLos AngelesSan JoseSeattleVancouverVegas
ForwardsNicolas DeslauriersMikael BacklundJosh ArchibaldLias AnderssonRudolfs BalcersDraftingBrock BoeserExempt
Max JonesDillon DubeLeon DraisaitlViktor ArvidssonLogan CoutureJason Dickinson
Isac LundestromJohnny GaudreauZack KassianDustin BrownJonathan DahlenBo Horvat
Rickard RakellElias LindholmConnor McDavidAlex IafalloTomas HertlJ. T. Miller
Jakob SilfverbergAndrew MangiapaneRyan Nugent-HopkinsAdrian KempeEvander KaneTyler Motte
Sam SteelSean MonahanJesse PuljujarviAnze KopitarKevin LabancTanner Pearson
Troy TerryMatthew TkachukKailer YamamotoTrevor MooreTimo MeierElias Pettersson
DefensemenCam FowlerRasmus AnderssonEthan BearDrew DoughtyBrent BurnsOlli Juolevi
Hampus LindholmNoah HanifinDuncan KeithMatt RoyErik KarlssonTyler Myers
Josh MansonChristopher TanevDarnell NurseSean WalkerMarc-Edouard VlasicNate Schmidt
GoaltenderJohn GibsonJacob MarkstromStuart SkinnerCal PetersenAdin HillThatcher Demko

Draft results

All 30 draft picks were submitted at once; they were announced in alphabetical order of teams in each division from east to west.

PlayerPosDrafted from
1DBoston Bruins
2DBuffalo Sabres
3DDetroit Red Wings
4GFlorida Panthers
5DMontreal Canadiens
6GOttawa Senators
7C/LWTampa Bay Lightning
8LW/CToronto Maple Leafs
9RW/CCarolina Hurricanes
10DColumbus Blue Jackets
11RWNew Jersey Devils
12RWNew York Islanders
13CNew York Rangers
14LWPhiladelphia Flyers
15LWPittsburgh Penguins
16GWashington Capitals
17CArizona Coyotes
18CChicago Blackhawks
19RWColorado Avalanche
20DDallas Stars
21DMinnesota Wild
22RWNashville Predators
23DSt. Louis Blues
24CWinnipeg Jets
25DAnaheim Ducks
26DCalgary Flames
27DEdmonton Oilers
28DLos Angeles Kings
29CSan Jose Sharks
30RWVancouver Canucks

Trades

The Seattle Kraken made no trades for concessions in exchange for agreeing to select certain unprotected players.[14]

Post-draft

Not all players selected by the Kraken in the Expansion Draft would remain with the team. Some players were traded in the following days:

Other players who were no longer on the Kraken's roster at the start of the 2021–22 NHL season include the following:

Guest appearances

Several Seattle sportspeople and celebrities made appearances to announce the draft picks, including Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton of the Seattle SuperSonics, as well as former Sonics coach Lenny Wilkens; Marshawn Lynch and Bobby Wagner of the Seattle Seahawks; Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm via video conference as she was in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics; Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners; Brad Evans and Jordan Morris of the Seattle Sounders FC; Kraken scout Cammi Granato, and Seattle based rapper Macklemore. Western Washington Female Hockey members, Anchorage Hockey Association members, Kraken season-ticket holders, and construction workers from Climate Pledge Arena were also featured during the event. Co-owner Jerry Bruckheimer and general manager Ron Francis also participated.[20] [21] [22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Baker. Geoff. KeyArena MOU approved by Seattle City Council; will NHL announcement soon follow?. The Seattle Times. December 4, 2017. April 22, 2021.
  2. News: Bettman says NHL will consider Seattle expansion bid. USA Today. Associated Press. December 7, 2017. April 22, 2021.
  3. News: Rosen. Dan. Seattle can begin NHL expansion process . NHL.com. December 7, 2017. April 22, 2021.
  4. News: Seattle applies for NHL expansion team. NHL.com. February 13, 2018. April 22, 2021.
  5. News: Baker. Geoff. Seattle group files application for NHL expansion team to play at KeyArena. The Seattle Times. February 13, 2018. April 22, 2021.
  6. News: Kimelman. Adam. Seattle expansion bid recommended for NHL Board of Governors vote. NHL.com. October 2, 2018. April 22, 2021.
  7. News: Baker. Geoff. NHL executive committee unanimously recommends forwarding Seattle expansion bid to December vote . The Seattle Times. October 2, 2018. October 3, 2018.
  8. Web site: National Hockey League approves expansion team in Seattle. NHL.com. December 4, 2018. April 22, 2021.
  9. Web site: How the NHL expansion draft will work for the Seattle Kraken: Schedule, format, rules, players available. July 14, 2021. July 18, 2021.
  10. Web site: Nine teams with interesting conundrums ahead of Seattle expansion draft. April 27, 2021. May 28, 2021.
  11. Web site: Seattle 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rules same as Golden Knights followed. July 23, 2020. April 22, 2021.
  12. Web site: Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft injury exemption list. Barr, John. Sound of Hockey. June 22, 2021. July 7, 2021.
  13. Web site: NHL announces protected list for 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. July 19, 2021. NHL.com. en-US.
  14. CapFriendly. 1418021781554843656.
    1. SeaKraken made no trades with any teams prior to the expansion draft
    . July 22, 2021. July 22, 2021.
  15. Web site: Pitlick traded to Flames by Kraken, was selected in NHL Expansion Draft . NHL.com . July 22, 2021.
  16. Web site: MacDermid traded to Avalanche by Kraken. July 27, 2021. July 27, 2021.
  17. Web site: Capitals re-acquire Vanecek from Kraken. TSN.ca. July 28, 2021. July 28, 2021.
  18. Web site: Columbus Blue Jackets sign Gavin Bayreuther to two-year contract . Columbus Blue Jackets . July 28, 2021.
  19. Web site: ZSC Lions Verpflichten John Quenneville . ZSC Lions . September 5, 2021 . October 31, 2021 . October 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211031194307/https://www.zsclions.ch/news/detail/zsc-lions-verpflichten-john-quenneville/ . dead .
  20. Web site: Seattle-area sports stars, celebrities help Kraken with Expansion Draft. NHL.com. July 22, 2021.
  21. Web site: Celebrities lined up to aid Seattle Kraken's expansion draft. July 20, 2021. sportsnaut.com.
  22. Web site: Sue Bird, Marshawn Lynch, Gary Payton among Seattle celebrities to appear at NHL expansion draft. July 19, 2021. The Seattle Times.