Who’s going to play for the Seattle Kraken? Here’s how the NHL expansion draft works
If you’re an NHL fan in Seattle, odds are you’ve been eagerly counting down to July.
It’s the month when the Kraken’s inaugural team will come together and when all the predictions and projections will finally transform into a concrete roster. Seattle will have the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft that runs July 23-24. But first, the Kraken will begin filling out their roster with the Expansion Draft.
What does that mean, and how exactly does it work?
Let us explain.
What is an expansion draft?
Expansion drafts are used to fill the roster of an expansion team. The NHL last held an expansion draft in 2017 for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
How does it work?
The Kraken will select one player from each team — excluding Las Vegas — for a total of 30 players. Teams have until 2 p.m. July 17 to submit their protection lists, which prevents certain players from being selected.
When is the draft?
July 21 starting at 5 p.m. PT.
How can I watch?
ESPN2 will air the Kraken’s choices live. The show will be hosted by Chris Fowler, who will be joined by former NHL player Dominic Moore. Former NHL goalie and current analyst Kevin Weekes will report from various Seattle locations.
Terms to know
Protected list: Players a team has prevented from being selected in the draft.
Exposed players: Players who aren’t exempt and aren’t on the protected list.
Exempt players: Players who don’t meet the eligibility requirements for the draft and don’t count against teams’ protected limits or exposure requirements.
First- or second-year professionals: Players who have not played two full seasons as a professional, either in the NHL or AHL. These players are exempt from selection. Players who have completed their second professional season and will be entering their third in 2021-22 are still exempt.
NHL Entry Draft: This draft will be held July 23–24 and will be in a remote format for the second year in a row. Players who meet the eligibility requirements — North American players 18-20 years old and European/international players 18-21 years old — will be selected by NHL teams in seven rounds.
No-Movement Clause: A contract stipulation that means a player can’t be traded or sent to the minors. These players are protected from the expansion draft unless they waive the clause.
What are the rules?
Seattle will select under the same rules that Vegas used in 2017.
Seattle’s picks …
- Must include a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies.
- Must include at least 20 players to put under contract for the 2021-22 regular season and those with an aggregate value that is between 60-100% of last season’s upper limit for the salary cap.
- Cannot be bought out earlier than the summer after the 2021-22 season.
Teams must expose …
- One defenseman and two forwards who are under contract in 2021-22 and played in at least 40 NHL games in the prior season or 70 games in the prior two seasons.
- One goalie who is under contract in 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent at the end of his current contract before 2021-22. If a team chooses to make a restricted free agent goalie available, the goalie must receive his qualifying offer before the submission of the team’s protected list.
Teams can protect …
- Seven forwards, three defensemen, one goalie or eight skaters and one goalie.
Also …
- Players with no-movement clauses who decline to waive those clauses must be protected
- All first- and second-year players and all unsigned draft choices will be exempt and will not count toward the protection limit.
- Players with potential career-ending injuries who have missed more than the previous 60 consecutive games — or have otherwise been confirmed to have a serious, career-threatening injury — may not be used to meet a team’s player exposure requirements. These players might also be exempt from selection.
