National Hockey League

Vegas Golden Knights Mock Expansion Draft Roundtable

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Vegas Golden Knights: General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Vegas Golden Knights front-office is holding mock expansion drafts throughout the year to prepare for next June. We here at Puck Prose are doing the same thing with in-depth analysis, full protection lists, and much more!

Las Vegas plans to conduct a monthly NHL mock expansion draft to prepare themselves for next June. We here at Puck Prose are looking to do the same thing with detailed analysis that should have us looking at some of the same players that George McPhee and company are as well.

This time around, we’ve collected three different opinions. Writers Matt Duscharme and Suraj Sukumar have joined site expert Ryan Ritchie to share their projected Vegas Golden Knights roster. So, instead of the main protection list with two alternatives as we did last month, Matt and Suraj have also included their own 30-team protection lists.

With the collaboration, we’re hoping to give readers a better idea of who might be available next June. Also, fans can get an idea of the expansion draft landscape changes when teams use different formats or protect different players with those highly debatable final spots. If we’re lucky, we might have a few similar picks in terms of protection lists or Vegas roster players. All in all, it’s a good exercise to get a better/more accurate handle on the entire process, which is very different from past expansions.

Nov 12, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New York Rangers right wing Rick Nash (61) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Truth be told, we can target and identify the vast majority of protected players. Between no-movement clauses and star players, it’s only a spot or two on each team that is actually debatable. Now, there’s still lots of time for player movement in 2016-17 leading up to the deadline, then another period following the playoffs.

To play it safe, for the time being, we’ve chosen to omit certain players for different reasons. Each writer is following their own set of rules in this department with explanations as to why those individuals will be left out.

Rules for Expansion

*Since our last mock draft, the NHL released its list of players who will be exempt from the expansion draft. Now, some folks are a bit confused it seems. This isn’t a list of players teams must protect (although the majority will need to be). Guys like Ryane Clowe, David Clarkson, and Nathan Horton, for example, are expected to be exempt from needing protection due to their injury status. Basically, any player who missed the previous 60 games heading into the expansion draft will have an automatic exemption, similar to the younger prospects.

All 30 NHL teams have two options to protect players

a) Seven forwards, three defensemen, one goaltender

b) Eight skaters and one goaltender

– All players that own a no-movement clause in their contract must be protected unless they agree to waive it.

– *All first and second-year professionals are automatically exempt from the expansion draft

*There’s been some gray area to this one so we’d like to help clarify with the best explanation we could find. Before shutting down, General Fanager asked this very question to the NHL, with the following response:

General Fanager also wanted answers for European skaters and how the NHL decides to calculate professional years overseas. Here’s the response:

Player Exposure Requirements

All clubs must provide a minimum one player that falls under each of the following categories:

1) one defenseman who is under contract for 2017-18 and played in 40 games in 2016-17, or 70 games in 2015-16 and 2016-17 combined.

2) two forwards under contract for 2017-18 and played in 40 games in 2016-17, or 70 games in 2015-16 and 2016-17 combined.

3) one goalie under contract for 2017-18 or RFA

Truth be told, all 30 teams will naturally have players that meet the requirements. There won’t be much planning or thought put into it when most bottom six forwards or bottom pair defenseman go unprotected.

– Players with a career-ending injury, or who have missed the previous 60 games due to injury will be automatically exempt from the expansion draft. This is notable for individuals such as Ryane Clowe (NJ) or David Clarkson (CLB) who some feared would take up a spot due to no-move clauses.

Las Vegas Selection Rules

– Las Vegas must select one player from each of the 30 existing teams.

– They must select at least 14 forwards, nine defense, and three goalies.

– Las Vegas must spend between 60-100 percent of the prior season’s upper cap limit ($43.8-$73.0 million)

– *20 of those 30 selections must be under contract for 2017-18 (only 10 UFAs or RFAs are allowed for that two-day negotiating period)

Jun 22, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bill Foley walks the red carpet during the 2016 NHL Awards at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

Honestly, this one doesn’t make a lot of sense. Experts/analysts insist that RFAs don’t count against the 20 under contract, but that’s absurd. If Las Vegas selects an RFA, they own that players rights until he’s eligible for free agency, so technically speaking, the player is pretty much under contract. Even if he’s unhappy and wants to flee to the KHL, Vegas still owns him if he ever decides to come back – not as though an RFA is going anywhere.

By the way, that two-day negotiating period set forth during the time Las Vegas is selecting is to ensure they can get all 30 players under contract for 2017-18. Without it, there’d be too much uncertainty with selections. This way if a free agent refuses to join the expansion team, at least they have time to change their selection to someone under contract or another FA that will agree to terms.

All 30 NHL teams must submit their protection list by 5pm (et) on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at the very latest. Las Vegas will then have until June 20, 2017, to submit their expansion draft picks. The announcement is expected to be made the following day on June 21st. – Ryan Ritchie

* NOTE: If you’re viewing this on a mobile device, please turn your phone sideways for optimal viewing performance.

Vegas Golden Knights: Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson (36) and the Ducks celebrate the 5-1 victory against the Ottawa Senators following the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Anaheim Ducks

Sadly, the Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams in tough with the expansion draft. One way or another, this organization is bound to lose a quality player. If they choose to save an extra defenseman (the likely choice), it will result in exposed top-six forwards. However, if Anaheim wants to save those forwards, it would cost them a quality top-four d-man. Now, don’t be surprised if GM Bob Murray uses draft picks/or players in order to protect an extra body, but his insistence to go for it in 2016-17 will ultimately cost him.

As you can see, the Ducks don’t have a lot of options. They can ask Kevin Bieksa to waive his no-move in hopes of protecting Josh Manson, but that leaves one of Jakob Silfverberg or Rickard Rakell available. If they want to use a 7-3-1 scheme, they can certainly save the necessary forwards, but it leaves a defender available capable of logging 20-plus minutes/night.

If GM Bob Murray still has a job following the 2016-17 season, expect him to very busy leading up to the expansion draft. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett looks on during the first period against the Calgary Flames at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Coyotes

Due to a relatively young forward group, many of the Coyotes top players are automatically exempt. That’s good news for a team that may need to protect more than three defensemen. That could, however, change if Arizona decides to trade pending unrestricted free agent Michael Stone.

I’m assuming Arizona seeks to retain Martin Hanzal long-term (due to become a UFA next summer). That leaves room for three more forwards. Tobias Rieder and Anthony Duclair are locks, but that fourth slot is wide open. We’ve gone with Jordan Martinook, but GM John Chayka might be inclined to protect Jamie McGinn or Henrik Samuelsson instead. Looking at the blue line/goaltending, those spots are virtual locks with the current occupants.

As you can tell, we all tend to agree that Arizona is wise to use a 4-4-1 scheme in order to protect all of their defenders. The only real spot of debate is that final forward slot. I’ve chosen the early hot hand in Jordan Martinook. Matt thinks it would be wise to re-sign Radim Vrbata. And Suraj favors a top prospect. Long story short, the Yotes have options with that last slot. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Bruins

Given the Bruins depth up front, a 7-3-1 protection scheme seems to be a given. We all seem to agree that at least eight players are virtual locks. We also agree on Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey, but those are less certain. For example, one could have made the argument that Jimmy Hayes was ahead of Beleskey before his sloppy start in 2016-17. – Ryan Ritchie

“Why did you choose to protect Joe Morrow over Colin Miller?” – Ryan Ritchie

While they’re the same age (24) Joe Morrow has more upside than Colin Miller. Joe has often been pushed back out of the lineup due to the chemistry between Colin Miller and Adam McQuaid. If Colin Miller happens to be taken by Vegas, Joe Morrow will finally get to step into the lineup on a full-time basis and show why his potential ceiling is much, much higher. Also if Colin Miller is taken, he’ll be able to put up a good amount of points and time on ice for Vegas. This choice basically came down to who has the highest over potential. – Matt Duscharme

Vegas Golden Knights: Buffalo Sabres right wing Kyle Okposo (21) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center. Washington beat Buffalo 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres

As you can see, we all tend to agree that Buffalo will have no choice but to protect four defensemen, despite Kulikov’s UFA status – the Sabres need to protect their investment. That puts them in a tough spot regarding who to save up front. One way or another, it seems Buffalo is destined to lose a forward.

Even though Dmitry Kulikov is slated to become a UFA, it’s important to get him protected. Some fans on social media have suggested the Sabres could circumvent the system with a pre-arrangement ensuring a refusal to sign with the expansion club, but those are the type of curious situations that can get the league involved. But instead, we protect Bogosian, Ristolainen, Kulikov, and McCabe, leaving us four spots up front. Okposo and O’Reilly are locks, but a debate could occur on those other two spots. Although it’s unlikely Las Vegas would have an interest in Kane’s character issues, it’s too much of a risk to leave him exposed. With the last spot, I’ve chosen to protect a young 1st rounder still looking to reach his ceiling. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Calgary Flames center Lance Bouma (17) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Calgary Flames

The reason I chose to protect Emile Poirier is due to the fact Calgary is already strong down the middle with youth. However, they are not strong on the wing with youth, and Poirier will be a compliment player playing with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Also, he’s a top prospect for the organization, which is something that need’s to be held onto. – Matt Duscharme

“Why is Flames forward Hunter Shinkaruk worth protecting?” – Ryan Ritchie

Hunter Shinkaruk is a great offensive player who has yet to make a real mark on the NHL. He played seven games in 2015-16 and scored two goals with an assist. However, at the AHL level, Shinkaruk is a borderline point-per-game player, and has drawn a call-up in 2016-17 after scoring five goals and four assists in 10 games with the Stockton Heat. He could be the secondary scoring help the Calgary Flames need moving forward. – Suraj Sukumar

The Flames could technically use either protection scheme as they’re bound to lose a decent player regardless. Since they’ve got an abundance of forwards and only three defenders that truly need protection, it makes sense to use the 7-3-1 option.

In terms of locks for protection, Giordano, Brodie, and Hamilton are guaranteed. Up front, Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, and Backlund are virtual locks as well. With seven forwards available for protection, that leaves us three spots to work with. Brouwer and Frolik are impact top-six forwards, which make for sensible saves. I’ve gone with Lance Bouma for the final spot serving as an important role player in the bottom-six. One could make a case for Micheal Ferland, Alex Chiasson, or maybe even Hunter Shinkaruk. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Viktor Stalberg (left) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Hurricanes

If the rules would allow for it, the Canes would certainly love to protect extra forwards and maybe save one or two defensemen total. The fact is, most of their quality blue liners that emerged in 2015-16 are automatically exempt.

For my list, I’ve decided to protect what GM Ron Francis is building; the younger core players. Given the lack of talent on the back end needing to be saved, I’ve chosen to protect Faulk, Dahlbeck, and Carrick. The obvious locks up front are Staal, Skinner, Rask, Lindholm, and Teravainen. Those last two spots are where things get a little fuzzy. Using our philosophy, it makes sense to protect both Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe. Neither has made the impact that a Nestrasil or Nordstrom has, but they could be major future pieces. – Ryan Ritchie

Chicago Blackhawks

If you’ve tinkered around with the expansion tools, you know that Chicago has locked themselves into seven players (four forwards, three defense, one goalie) with no-movement clauses. That leaves no possibility of using the 4-4-1 scheme to protect a valuable defender, unless of course Chicago is willing to hand Marcus Kruger to Las Vegas.

With only three spots to fill, the work is fairly limited only having to identify three forwards. Marcus Kruger is a must-save, Richard Panik is slowly working his way to a similar status (if he can keep it up), leaving just one spot. Given his emergence this year, Ryan Hartman might have the early lead, but that could always change. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1) during the first period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche

“If Avs defenseman Francois Beauchemin is unwilling to waive his NMC, do you leave Zadorov unprotected or switch to 4-4-1 scheme?” – Ryan Ritchie

The Colorado Avalanche have some impressive depth at the forward position, and losing Beauchemin could be worth holding onto that. However, their primary problem is on the blue line, and losing Zadorov would be a huge blow, given the lack of young, capable defensemen around the NHL.With that said, switching to a 4-4-1 is the best idea if Beauchemin would like to stay put in Colorado. – Suraj Sukumar

Dec 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Colorado Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard (31) celebrates with defenseman Francois Beauchemin (32) after defeating the Boston Bruins 4-2 at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It’s worth noting that 36-year-old defenseman Francois Beauchemin may be asked to waive his no-movement clause if Sakic can convince the veteran Las Vegas will have little interest (as Suraj has done). If that’s the case, Nikita Zadorov seems to be the next logical choice for protection on the back end in a 7-3-1 scheme.

Colorado is somewhat fortunate. They could technically use either protection scheme based on who they deem to be most important. Another big factor could be Francois Beauchemin. If he’s willing to waive his NMC, it sets them up perfectly as you can see in Suraj’s protection list. But if they’re forced to save him, the only real decision to make in a 4-4-1 scheme is whether to protect Carl Soderberg or Mikhail Grigorenko with that final spot. – Ryan Ritchie

“What was your reasoning behind saving Mikhail Grigorenko over Carl Soderberg?” – Ryan Ritchie

The reason I protected Mikhail Grigorenko over Carl Soderberg is for the age reason alone. Colorado has struggled down the middle, and with Soderberg often playing wing, this leaves Mikhail as a full-time number two center that will be with the club for a lengthy period since he’s only 22 compared to Soderberg being 31. – Matt Duscharme

Vegas Golden Knights: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson (7) celebrates a goal against the New York Islanders during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

Columbus Blue Jackets

Trading Scott Hartnell may be a tough feat since he has a cap hit of $4.75 million for the next three years and his great days are well behind him. However, if Columbus could move him to Vegas for the player the Golden Knights took in the draft and offer a draft pick as well to spice up the deal, that could very well be possible. Other than that they’re going to have to find a team willing to take on the aging wingers salary who could be used in a bottom six role. – Matt Duscharme

You wouldn’t know it by looking at the standings over the past couple of years, but Columbus boasts one of the deeper groups in the NHL. No matter which protection scheme they choose, they stand to lose a quality player.

Working with what’s in front of us at the moment, Scott Hartnell and his NMC are still in the mix. The forced save leaves names like William Karlsson and Lukas Sedlak on the outside looking in. That could change if Jarmo can get Hartnell to either waive his no-move or find another team that wants him. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza (90) and left wing Lauri Korpikoski (38) and center Tyler Seguin (91) and defenseman Dan Hamhuis (2) wait for play to resume against the Calgary Flames during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Flames defeat the Stars 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Stars

No surprise, one of the hottest protection list debates exists on Dallas’ blue line. Beyond John Klingberg, you’d hesitate to call anyone a lock. They’ve got Stephen Johns, Esa Lindell, Jamie Oleksiak, Dan Hamhuis, Johnny Oduya, Jordie Benn, and Patrik Nemeth (among others) competing for two spots. This is a decision that could go down to the wire in terms of performance in 2016-17.

For this list, I’m assuming GM Jim Nill has every intent to keep his top talent together since they’re in the middle of a Stanley Cup window. That means protecting the likes of Cody Eakin, Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie, and Antoine Roussel. On the blue line, there are a handful of players of a similar talent level that could be debated upon. Top selections have gotta be Klingberg and Johns. That third slot is a wild-card between Nemeth, Lindell, Oleksiak, Benn, and Hamhuis. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg (40) celebrates his goal with teammates during the overtime period against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Wings win 4-3 in overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings would likely love to save upwards of four, maybe even five defensemen with a couple of guys just starting to make an impact. Unfortunately, they’ve got far too many forwards to take care of, leaving them with the 7-3-1 scheme.

My thought process behind the list is preserving the most important players, even though it leaves a few key guys on the outside looking in. The Red Wings would surely love to protect Athanasiou, Helm, and Glendening, among others, but numbers don’t seem to support it. To save any of those forwards, it means exposing the likes of Riley Sheahan or Anthony Mantha.

The toughest selection was that final defensive slot. I’ve opted to go with Niklas Kronwall this time around – thinking it might be unwise to leave the 35-year-old unprotected, despite his age. Detroit would probably love to protect Alexey Marchenko, Ryan Sproul, and Xavier Ouellet as well, so who knows which direction they’ll head in. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 11, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a third period goal by forward Mark Letestu (55) against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Edmonton Oilers

Kris Russell is a very important defenseman for Edmonton, they have spent years trying to strengthen up the back end. And they finally did it by adding him, Andrej Sekera and Adam Larsson. In my opinion, the one-year deal he received was more like a test deal, and after a good season, expect Edmonton to hand him a much bigger deal at the end of the year. He’s been really solid on the back end helping Edmonton with a lot of issues they had last year, so getting rid of him would be a bad judgment call on their end. – Matt Duscharme

GM Peter Chiarelli has set himself up beautifully for the expansion draft. The Oilers are one of the few teams where a 7-3-1 scheme will protect just the right players, leaving few guys available that would be a devastating loss. The only real potential to have quality talent plucked is between the pipes with top prospect Laurent Brossoit – although the more Talbot performs, the easier that loss would be to deal with.

nine of 11 spots are spoken for even though only three actual NMC’s exist. Eberle, Lucic, Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Pouliot are virtual locks up front. Sekera, Klefbom, and Larsson are the only defensemen that need protection, leaving just two forward spots up for grabs. If Edmonton wants to keep the current group together that is having so much success, it makes sense to protect both Zack Kassian and Patrick Maroon. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 10, 2016; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (left) celebrates with Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (right) after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Panthers

If I was Vegas I would take Roberto Luongo over James Reimer despite the age difference. Luongo is a proven number one goalie, Reimer, on the other hand, was only a number one in Toronto cause they had no one else that good. In San Jose, he was number two and in Florida he’s number two. He’s not a legitimate starting goaltender. So if Vegas want’s to win some games, which I’m sure they do. Roberto Luongo would be the better choice. But if they wanna do a justified sneaky sort of tank, plus have a little youth, James Reimer would be the obvious selection. – Matt Duscharme.

Just entering their Stanley Cup window, Florida must protect it’s most important players. Barkov, Trocheck, Bjugstad, Huberdeau, and Smith are obvious locks. Marchessault is working his way into a lock based on his hot start, and I’m including veteran Jussi Jokinen. Many are projecting he be left unprotected, but the dude just tallied 61 points in 2015-16, let’s be real here. On the back end, I’ve opted to leave Jason Demers available in order to protect Alex Petrovic. If Vegas wants a defenseman, they’ll need to pay up. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (22) in the second period of the game against the Ottawa Senators at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Kings

“The Kings have been waiting for Derek Forbort to emerge for a couple of years now. He’s done just that in 2016-17 logging big minutes. How much did this play into your decision to use a 4-4-1 protection scheme, or do you think this is something LA was considering all along given the drop-off in talent beyond their top four forwards?” – Ryan Ritchie

The Los Angeles Kings have built their success from the back-end. Their top level defensive group has been a primary contributor in Jonathan Quick’s success, and it would be hard to see them lose that. Derek Forbort is ready for the NHL level, and the Kings do not have much to lose at the forward position. This would seem like an easy decision given his improvements over the last year. – Suraj Sukumar

Derek Forbort’s emergence as a player this year has been a long time coming. And due to this, it makes Los Angeles’ choices that much harder. But to sacrifice a top scorer or a top defenceman who is still young, the latter of the two should be the obvious choice since a solid defenseman is hard to come across. Goal scorers are much easier to find. – Matt Duscharme

Eight players are virtually locked into protection slots. The three D (Doughty, Martinez, Muzzin), Quick, then up front, Kopitar, Carter, Toffoli, and Pearson. That leaves three forward spots to protect players. Given his injury history, I’d prefer to keep Gaborik unprotected but I see LA protecting an old investment. So, we’ve got Trevor Lewis, Dwight King, Jordan Nolan, Andy Andreoff, Kyle Clifford, Michael Mersch, Nic Dowd, and Nick Shore all fighting for two spots. I’m opting to protect Clifford and Andreoff. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau (right) on the bench against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Minnesota defeated Toronto 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Wild

One way or another, the Wild are likely to lose one of two defensemen. Because of that, Minnesota can make life a little easier on themselves. Sure, they could use a 4-4-1 protection scheme and choose who to keep between Jonas Brodin or Marco Scandella. Then again, it’ll cost them three valuable exposed forwards to do so. Why not use the 7-3-1 format, protect Suter, Dumba, and Spurgeon, and let Las Vegas decide which top-four defender they’d prefer. At least that way, Minnesota can protect a few extra bodies.

Having three extra forward slots means the Wild don’t need to choose between saving Coyle or Granlund. They can save both, plus Nino Niederreiter. That 7th slot is where things get interesting. I’ve opted for an emerging Eric Staal, but other names that could contend are Jason Zucker, Erik Haula, Teemu Pulkkinen, Zac Dalpe, and Tyler Graovac. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 10, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty (67) reacts with teammate Alexander Radulov (47) after scoring his third goal of the game against the Colorado Avalanche during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens

This is admittedly one of the toughest teams to figure out. They could make an argument for using either protection scheme, and tend to have a large number of players vying for very few spots. It makes those final 2-3 forward slots a difficult choice.

On the back end, Weber, Petry, and Beaulieu are logical choices to protect. Personally, I’d prefer to save the three extra forwards opposed to keeping Emelin. I’m not even sure Las Vegas would be interested in the Russian defender.

Up front, the Habs may opt to leave Plekanec unprotected to see if they could shed the contract, but it might be wise to save the longtime Montreal forward. It also makes sense to save their newest investment in Andrew Shaw. That leaves two slots for (2) David Desharnais, Torrey Mitchell, Paul Byron, Brian Flynn, Phillip Danault, Daniel Carr, Jacob de La Rose, Sven Andrighetto, and Charles Hudon. I’m leaning towards Hudon and Byron at this point. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Nashville Predators players celebrate after a goal by defenseman Roman Josi (59) during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Nashville Predators

Welcome Preds fans to that exclusive club of teams bound to provide one of the better selections to Las Vegas. The conundrum is this: use a 7-3-1 scheme and lose D Mattias Ekholm, or use a 4-4-1 scheme and lose one of Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Viktor Arvidsson, Calle Jarnkrork, the list goes on. Perhaps if Nashville finds themselves out of the playoff picture, it might trigger some type of trade that allows the Predators to protect seven forwards.

Assuming things stay relatively normal without significant change, the 4-4-1 scheme makes a little more sense. Ekholm is far more valuable than any one of those forwards that Nashville could lose. Some have suggested James Neal be left unprotected due to his contract, but that would be a mistake for the Preds, he’s a quality goal scorer. The only real debate is who to protect with that fourth and final slot up front. Logic would have told us the fight was between Colin Wilson and Craig Smith, but it seems Viktor Arvidsson has leap-frogged both after an impressive start on Nashville’s top line. – Ryan Ritchie

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“Ryan Ellis is left unprotected in Nashville, what is your thought process behind the selection?” – Ryan Ritchie

Ryan Ellis hasn’t really lived up to his potential, and while he’s been falling down the depth chart, Mattias Ekholm has been climbing up. This is why I protect him, P.K. Subban and Roman Josi. They’re the best three defensemen the Predators have, which makes Ellis expendable in a 7F – 3D – 1G format. – Matt Duscharme

Dec 11, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider (35) makes a stick save against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

New Jersey Devils

GM Ray Shero has options at this point. Depending on how he feels, the Devils could use either protection scheme. The debate becomes, would you rather save D Jon Merill or Devante-Smith Pelly and Mike Cammalleri plus one other forward.

Truth be told, if I’m GM George McPhee, my eyes are set squarely on goaltenders Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood.

Using the 7-3-1 format, locks to be protected include Hall, Zajac, Henrique, and Palmieri up front, Greene and Severson on the back end, and Schneider in goal. That leaves three forward slots and one on defense. Looking to the blue line, the debate is between John Moore and Jon Merrill. Both are similar talents but you’ve got to give the advantage to Moore unless Merill turns some heads the rest of the season. Looking at the forwards, Smith-Pelly and Cammalleri are next top talents that need protection. That leaves (1) slot for Josefson or Bennett. Reid Boucher was in last month’s mix, but it seems he was claimed by Nashville off waivers. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: New York Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak (41) celebrates with Islanders center John Tavares (91) after their game against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. The Islanders won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

New York Islanders

Here’s another team that is difficult to figure out. With reason to save upwards of five defensemen, GM Garth Snow needs to make some difficult decisions. My thought process is this: If the Isles want to protect Ryan Pulock (might be wise), they could use a 4-4-1 scheme leaving both Hickey and de Haan unprotected. Then again, the highly touted prospect is yet to make any type of impact so we’re willing to bet other players rank higher on Las Vegas’ list. Given the amount of quality forwards in need of protection, Garth Snow might as well use the 7-3-1 format and let George McPhee likely select one of Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

I was leaning towards protecting Jaroslav Halak at the start of the season after his impressive World Cup performance. Trade rumors, however, suggest he may have an expiration date. If that’s the case, J-F Berube is the logical save. It’s not a knock on Greiss’ talent, merely an age factor – why save Ilya Sorokin’s stop-gap solution?

In terms of locks to be protected, Boychuk, Leddy, and Hamonic make up the back end. Up front, Tavares, Ladd, Lee, Strome, and Nelson are safe. That leaves a couple of spots for the likes of Casey Cizikas, Josh Bailey, Shane Prince, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, the list goes on. We’ve opted to protect Cizikas and Bailey. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: New York Rangers right wing Brandon Pirri (73) reacts while leaving the ice after losing to the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

New York Rangers

“How difficult was it to leave J.T. Miller unprotected for the Rangers? How close is the battle with guys like Oscar Lindberg and Kevin Hayes?” – Ryan Ritchie

Leaving Miller unprotected was pretty tough, even though he’s a top forward for the Rangers, I personally believe Oscar Lindberg is going to be the better player in due time which is why I had him protected. Speaking of Lindberg, protecting him was much of the same reason why I protected Kevin Hayes, these are top players that are going to be in the top six for the Rangers for a very long time. So the battle between them isn’t far nor close, it’s pretty even to be honest. – Matt Duscharme

Vegas Golden Knights: Ottawa Senators center Chris Kelly (22) celebrates scoring against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Senators won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators could use a 4-4-1 protection scheme in order to protect their top four defensive group, but it just won’t be feasible with a plethora of forwards available. It seems Marc Methot could be the odd-man out on the back end, which may or may not interest Las Vegas in his early 30s. Don’t be surprised if the Sens use a conditional pick or prospects to get additional protection for Methot.

In the 7-3-1 format, there are five forwards that could be considered virtual locks to be saved: Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard, Mark Stone, and Kyle Turris. Things get interesting in the battle for those last two spots. I think Curtis Lazar and J-G Pageau are still the next two in line, leaving names such as Zack Smith, Matt Puempel, and Ryan Dzingel on the outside looking in. Although truth be told, Dzingel is narrowing the gap on Lazar for that final spot. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek (93) celebrates after scoring game winning goal during the overtime period against the Florida Panthers at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Panthers, 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Flyers

Philly has a lot of tough decisions to make in the expansion. Who do they protect between the pipes? Which defenders beyond the Ghost need to be saved? Which forwards occupy those last couple of spots in a seven forward scheme? We’ve done our best to tackle these questions.

I’m opting to protect Steve Mason right now. Both Mason and Neuvirth are UFAs next summer, while 22-year-old Anthony Stolarz also remains as an option. At this point, it looks like Mason could earn another contract, but we’ll have to see how the season plays out.

On the blue line, a max of four defensemen could potentially use protection and that number dips to three if the Flyers let Michael Del Zotto walk into free agency. Philly is trending towards a younger back end, so we’ve opted to protect Gostisbehere, Gudas, and Manning.

Five forwards are virtual locks for Philadelphia: Claude Giroux (NMC), Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, Wayne Simmonds, and Brayden Schenn. That leaves two forward spots for a number of players. This is where the debate will be as I’ve chosen Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Those selections leave Matt Read, Dale Weise, Nick Cousins, Taylor Leier, and P.E. Bellemare on the outside looking in. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 5, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and left wing Carl Hagelin (62) congratulate a goal by defenseman Justin Schultz (middle) against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Penguins

This is pure speculation, but something tells me that Pittsburgh will do a good job at hiding Pouliot in 2016-17. He started the year on the long-term IR, and if they force him down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for most/or all of the season, it becomes increasingly difficult for Las Vegas to select a player with limited NHL experience.

With Pouliot on the sidelines, Pittsburgh can save Letang, Maatta, and Dumoulin. That leaves Ian Cole, Trevor Daley, and Justin Schultz available.

Picking six of the seven forwards was fairly simple. Malkin, Crosby, and Kessel have no-move clauses. Hornqvist, Bonino, and Hagelin might be considered that next tier of forwards, which leaves just one opening up front. Here’s where the serious debate begins as we’re choosing between Bryan Rust, Scott Wilson, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Garrett Wilson (among others). – Ryan Ritchie

December 9, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc (62) celebrates with right wing Joel Ward (42) his goal scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center. Ward provided an assist on the goal. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

San Jose Sharks

Let the debate begin! Truth be told, the Sharks have a number of similar quality players that just happen to fall in that gray area where only a limited amount can be protected at each position. So, those final few spots up front and last spot on the blue line has multiple players vying to be saved.

The debate goes further than just players though. San Jose needs to figure out whether they plan to protect seven forwards or four-plus defenseman. The 7-3-1 scheme is most likely option, but that could change depending on how SJ does in 2016-17.

*Important note: Suraj and I are omitting Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Both are slated to become UFAs and there’d be little reason for Las Vegas to select either. San Jose can save the two forward spots with a safe gamble that Thornton/Marleau go untouched. The only way these lists change is if SJ reaches an extension with either before the end of the year.

In terms of locks to be saved, I’ve got goaltender Martin Jones, defenders Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and forwards Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Mikkel Boedker. That leaves us three forwards and one defenseman to protect. Some may favor the likes of Justin Braun or Brendan Dillon the back end, but I’d prefer to save one of Dylan DeMelo or Mirco Mueller. It’s nothing against Braun or Dillon, but they’ve had their shot to show what they can do. I’d rather bank on DeMelo or Mueller developing into something a little better.

Three spots up front, several names to choose from: Joel Ward, Tommy Wingels, Melker Karlsson, Matt Nieto, Chris Tierney, Barclay Goodrow, and Ryan Carpenter. As you can tell, I’m favoring Karlsson, Ward, and Tierney, but that could always change. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 6, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz (17) celebrates with Paul Stastny (26) and Colton Parayko (55) and Alexander Steen (20) and Jori Lehtera (12) after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens at Scottrade Center. The Blues won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis Blues

The Blues are in a tough position. If they want to save seven forwards, they likely stand to lose a quality defender. Should they choose to protect four or more defenseman, quality forwards become available. One way or another, St. Louis stands to lose a decent player unless they can wheel and deal in June to protect a few extra bodies via trade.

The way we see it is this: Four forwards, two defensemen, and goalie Jake Allen all require protection. That leaves three forwards and one d-man to fill out our list.

Looking to the back end, three players are vying for that last spot; Joel Edmundson, Petteri Lindbohm, and Carl Gunnarsson. Given his age and cap hit, it might be safe to assume Gunnarsson will be on the outside looking in. It seems Edmundson might have the early lead on Lindbohm, but we’ll have to see how the new season plays out.

Up front, those last three spots are tough to pick. Still available at this point is Paul Stastny, David Perron, Patrik Berglund (UFA), Nail Yakupov, Dmitrij Jaskin, and Ty Rattie. How exactly is St. Louis supposed to pick between that group? Right now, it seems Stastny, Jaskin, and Rattie might be the top three. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 10, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) is congratulated by defenseman Luke Witkowski (28) and teammates after he scored a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguinsduring the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Lightning

Even though they’re one of the deepest teams that promise to hand Las Vegas a top selection, the Lightning’s protection list is arguably the easiest to determine. Their seven forward spots are locked in, which leaves debate for maybe one or two spots on the back end.

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Ben Bishop will be omitted until he finds a new home. It’s unclear if he’ll stick around the entire year or not, but at some point, he will be moved. The 22-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy is the logical save between the pipes.

As mentioned, the forward spots are all accounted for. Between NMC’s for Stamkos, Callahan, and Filppula, it leaves just enough room to protect Kucherov, Johnson, Palat, and Drouin. Little can be done to save the likes of Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, or J.T. Brown.

Hedman is a lock on the back end obviously. The only real debate is the last two d-slots. I’m assuming Steve Yzerman might favor the likes of Sustr and Nesterov over veterans Stralman, Garrison, and Coburn. – Ryan Ritchie

Dec 7, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock during a break in the ation against the Minnesota Wild at the Air Canada Centre. Minnesota defeated Toronto 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are one of the few teams that could use either protection scheme and have it make little difference to the quality of player left available. Given the fact there’s a handful of younger forwards who could have a future in Toronto, it might make sense to use the traditional 7-3-1 option.

In terms of locks for protections, goaltender Frederik Andersen, defenders Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner, and forwards Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov are safe bets. You might even throw F Connor Brown’s name in there seeing as there’s little chance he’s left exposed. For those final three forward spots, I’m opting with Brendan Leipsic, Matt Martin, and Josh Leivo.

For that final spot on the blue line, I’ve selected Connor Carrick. Some may opt for Martin Marincin, as I did last month. The more you watch him play, the less worthy of a protection spot he seems to be. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: The Vancouver Canucks celebrate a goal by Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin (33) during the third period at Prudential Center. The Devils defeated the Canucks 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks

“Why does Markus Granlund deserve the Canucks final forward slot?” – Ryan Ritchie

It’s a tough pick, that much is true. But when looking at the needs of the Vancouver Canucks, Granlund is a welcomed addition based on his secondary scoring potential. He looks the most ready to perform at the NHL level, and has gained plenty of confidence from the coaching staff in 2016-17. He is currently seeing second line minutes alongside Loui Eriksson and Brandon Sutter, and looks like a fine piece for the Canucks’ long-term future. – Suraj Sukumar

Despite the strong start, it seems veteran Ryan Miller is on his way out with an expiring contract. Vancouver needs to protect Markstrom and future in goal circles around top prospect Thatcher Demko. 2016-17 is simply about making sure Markstrom can handle a large workload. Demko will need support at the start of his career and injuries are always possible.

On the blue line, Edler, Tanev, and Gudbranson are the logical saves at this point. Some speculation has suggested that Vancouver may opt to trade Edler to continue the trend towards a younger team, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Up front, the Sedin twins and Eriksson own no-move clauses and require protection. The next three players that need protection are Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter, and Jannik Hansen, leaving a single spot. Left available is Alex Burrows, Derek Dorsett, Sven Baertschi, Anton Rodin, and Markus Granlund (among others). Whoever impresses the most from Rodin, Beartschi, and Granlund in 2016-17 is the likely save. My money is on Rodin at this point even though he’s still on the injured reserve. – Ryan Ritchie

Vegas Golden Knights: Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson (90) is congratulated by team mates after scorinig against Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-2 loss at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Capitals