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The NHL seems like it wants to expand, by at least two teams. In part two of this blog I will be doing the expansion draft of two new NHL clubs, as well as giving a brief reason why each player was taken. If you want to know which players are available from each current NHL team you can go back and read part one of this blog.

The rules of the expansion draft are as follows:
• Only one goaltender or one defenseman can be selected from each franchise.
• All 30 teams will have two players taken off their rosters.
• Both teams in the expansion draft must hit the salary cap floor $52,800,000.
• This hypothetical expansion draft will be a snake draft so team A will picks 1st and 4th and team B will picks 2nd and 3rd and so on a so forth
• If a RFA is picked his salary will increase by 1 million dollars at least.
The Draft

Team A will be picking 1st
Pick 1 (A) Andrei Vasilevskiy G $925,000 2 years
By far the best prospect available in the draft, team A jumps at the chance to pick the Russian goalie.

Pick 2 (B) Frederik Andersen 25 G $1,150,000 1 year
Team B will use their first pick on this massive goaltender from Denmark, he looks like the best goaltender available in the draft.

Pick 3 (B) Artem Anisimov C 27 $4,550,000 6 years
Using their seconded pick on Anisimov was a no brainer for team B they a young center that they have locked down for the next 6 years

Pick 4 (A) Marian Hossa RW 36 $5,275,000 6 years
Marian Hossa the best player in this draft is picked by team A for many reasons, chiefly his leadership and his marketability. Hossa will be the captain of the new club.

Pick 5 (A) Matt Dumba D 20 $894,166 1 year
Team A once again picks the best prospect in his position in Dumba.

Pick 6 (B) Darren Helm C 28 $2,125,000 1 year
If the speedy center can stay healthy team B is hoping that they could have a true first line player.

Pick 7 (B) Lars Eller C 26 $3,500,000 3 years
Choosing the big center from Denmark will add good player for the bottom nine.

Pick 8 (A) Mikhail Grabovski C 31 $5,000,000 3 years
Team A selects the player that will center their first line for the first couple of years in their franchises history

Pick 9 (A) Nikolay Kulemin LW 28 $4,187,500 3 years
Kulemin is picked to play with his friend Grabovski and Hossa on the top line.

Pick 10 (B) Leo Komarov C 28 $2,950,000 3 years
Komarov will play a bottom six rule as well as proving great penalty killing for his new team. Leo is a strong leader and will be the first captain of this team.

Pick 11 (B) Eddie Lack G 27 $1,150,000 1 year
Lack is a very good pick at 11 him and Andersen will battle for the starting job for team B.

Pick 12 (A) Brian Elliott G 30 $2,500,000 2 years
Elliott will more than likely be the starter for this new expansion team.

Pick 13 (A) Sam Gagner C 25 $3,200,000 1 year
Choosing the former number 8 draft pick Gagner has proven he could be a first line player in the NHL but has fallen into a cold streak in the last couple of seasons, team A hope that he could rebound in an expanded role.

Pick 14 (B) Tommy Wingels C 27 $2,475,000 1 year
A proven penalty killer and 15 goal scorer, will help in many ways with his new team.

Pick 15 (B) Josh Gorges D 30 $3,900,000 3 years
The first defenseman taken by team B, he will provide good leadership along with a steady second pairing defenseman will have an A on his jersey for his new team.

Pick 16 (A) Joffrey Lupul LW 31 $5,250,000 3 years
The off injured winger can be a very good player when healthy.

Pick 17 (A) Mattias Ekholm D 25 $1,037,500 1 year
Ekholm has been buried on the deep Nashville blue-line with an expanded role on a new team he could really grow.

Pick 18 (B) Eric Gelinas D 24 Signs a $4,000,000 5 year deal
A solid second pairing defenseman, someone who won’t blow you away with any part of his game.

Pick 19 (B) Cam Atkinson RW 26 $3,500,000 3 years
A scoring winger who can play in the top 6

Pick 20 (A) Ryan Reaves RW 28 $1,125,000 3 years
Reaves is a player that will be a fan favorite with his new club. A enforce that can score will keep other teams players in line.

Pick 21 (A) Alec Martinez D 27 $4,000,000 6 years
A young defenseman that is locked down long term, something every expansion team needs.

Pick 22 (B) Justin Braun D 28 $3,800,000 5 years
Just like Martinez, in that he is a young D-man locked up long term.

Pick 23 (B) Steve Moses RW 25 $1,000,000 1 year
Team B takes a risk on Moses the KHL standout , who had 36 goals and 21 assists in his final KHL season (Just to clarify to me a new signing was anyone signed on or passed July 1st that is why Moses can be taken in this draft.)

Pick 24 (A) Kevin Klein D 30 $2,900,000 3 years
His compete level is off the charts, a number 4 to 6 defenseman.

Pick 25 (A) Teddy Purcell RW 29 $4,500,000 1 year
Over paid for what he is, but for an expansion team they can afford him. Purcell will provide depth scoring, for his new team.

Pick 26 (B) Emerson Etem LW 23 $925,000 2 years (Signs new deal with new club)
Etem has not hit his stride yet in the NHL, his new team will hope he can put it all together.

Pick 27 (B) Kyle Clifford LW 24 $1,600,000 5 years
This grinder will provide an edge for his new team. Clifford will be able to play on the third or fourth line.

Pick 28 (A) Joe Colborne C 25 $1,250,000 1 year
The former 16th overall pick will center the third line on his new team.

Pick 29 (A) Jimmy Hayes RW 25 $2,300,000 3 years
Solid third of fourth liner who will hit add go in front of the net during the power play.

Pick 30 (B) Brian Boyle C 30 $2,000,000 2 years
Boyle brings knowledge of what it takes to win.

Pick 31 (B) Alex Chiasson RW 24 $2,500,000 3 years (Signs new deal with club)
Chiasson will provide good depth; he will play from the 2nd to 4th line.

Pick 32 (A) Jiri Sekac LW 23 $925,000 1 year
Team A takes a risk on the former prized free agent signing from Europe.

Pick 33 (A) Jonas Hiller G 33 $4,500,00 1 year
The Swiss net minder will compete for starting job with his new team.

Pick 34 (B) Dennis Seidenberg D 33 $4,000,000 4 years
The German defender will play on the 1st or 2nd pairing for his new club even with him losing a step or two in the last couple of years,

Pick 35 (B) Jamie McGinn LW 26 $2,950,000 1 year
McGinn will play in the top 9 for his new team much like he has for his whole NHL career.

Pick 36 (A) Luca Sbisa D 25 $3,600,000 3 years
The Swiss defender has struggled with consistency his whole career. With his new team he could finally put it all together.

Pick 37 (A) Jared Cowen D 24 $3,100,000 2 years
Cowen has fallen out of favor with the Senators. Cowen could be a top 4 defender, but his new team will need to rebuild his confidents.

Pick 38 (B) Ales Hemsky RW $4,100,000 2 years
Hemsky was a gem in the rough for Edmonton during his playing days there. His time in Dallas has not gone smoothly at all, but he still has the potential to still be a very good top 6 if he can regain his form.

Pick 39 (B) Mark Fayne D 28 $3,625,000 3 years
Fayne is an above average defensive defenseman; he could play on the second pairing for his new team.

Pick 40 (A) Dale Weise RW 26 $1,025,000 1 year
Dale Weise is one of the hardest working players not just on his team but the whole NHL. Weise will be able to play anywhere in the lineup, but is best suited for a bottom six role.

Pick 41 (A) Brooks Laich C 32 $4,500,000 2 years
Laich has struggled with staying healthy for the last 4 year. Laich new team will hope he can stay healthy and play in their top 9, but that seems like a long shot at this point.

Pick 42 (B) Alexey Marchenko D 23 $666,666 1 year
Marchenko has only played a total of 14 NHL games, but has shown great potential in the few games he has played.

Pick 43 (B) Nick Holden D 28 $1,650,000 3 years
Holden has been playing in Colorado’s top six for the last couple of years a role he will fill again with his new team.

Pick 44 (A) Jay McClement C 32 $1,200,000 2 years
McClement is the best penalty killer on the Hurricanes and will help on the PK and play mostly on the fourth line.

Pick 45 (A) Joey Hishon C 23 $750,000 2 years (Signs with new team.)
The former OHL standout has dealt with some major injuries in his short pro career. If he can regain his health he could become a top six forward.

Pick 46 (B) Erik Haula C 24 $800,000 2 years (Signs with his new team.)
The speedy Finn will fight for a roster spot on his new team.

Pick 47 (B) Derek Dorsett RW 28 $2,650,000 4 years
This player provides fourth line grit.

Pick 48 (A) Jared Boll RW 29 $1,700,000 2 years
Boll is a fighter with a bit of a scoring touch.

Pick 49 (A) Jason Demers D 27 $2,210,000 1 year
A defenseman that will be able to play on the bottom pairing.

Pick 50 (B) Philipp Grubauer G 23 $750,000 2 years
The young German will play in the AHL next season, but will be NHL soon after.

Pick 51 (B) Derek Mackenzie C 34 $1,300,000 3 years
This hard nose forward is a leader and will become a fan favorite.

Pick 52 (A) Andrew MacDonald D 28 $5,000,000 5 years
MacDonald was one of the best bargains in the NHL a few years ago now he drastically overpaid.

Pick 53 (A) Kyle Chipchura C 29 $875,000 1 year
Will play as the 13th forward on his new team.

Pick 54 (B) Alex Petrovic D 23 $750,000 2 years (Signs with new club)
The hard hitting defensemen will more than likely play in the AHL next year.

Pick 55 (B) Ben Chiarot D 24 $850,000 2 years
The hard hitting Chiarot will hope for an NHL job next year.

Pick 56 (A) Jordin Tootoo RW 32 $825,000 1 year
Tootoo will fight for a job with his new team.

Pick 57 (A) Matt Halischuk RW 27 $750,000 1 year
The former team Canada player more than likely won’t make his new team full time.

Pick 58 (B) Ben Lovejoy D 31 $1,100,000 1 year
The well liked Lovejoy could be the 7th or 8th D man on his new team.

Pick 59 (B) Klas Dahlbeck D 24 $750,000 2 years (Signs new deal with team)
Will play on the top paring in the AHL.

Pick 60 (A) Jeff Zatkoff G 28 $600,000 1 year
Will play in the AHL or ECHL.

The Depth Charts
For this part of the blog I will do my best to predict the day one depth charts of both of the new expansion clubs. What I mean by day one depth charts is that players could prove to their new clubs that they should be higher up in the lineup or they could disappoint and fall down the charts. Keep in mind, that I’m also putting players in the depth charts in the natural positions so someone that is 5th or 6th on depth chart could still make the team if they can play another position. (EX. If a Center can also play the Left Wing or Right Wing he could make the team if he is the best option.)

Team A:

Left Wing

Joffrey Lupul
Nikolay Kulemin
Jiri Sekac

Center

Mikhail Grabovski
Sam Gagner
Brooks Laich
Jay McClement
Kyle Chipchura
Joey Hishon

Right Wing

Marian Hossa
Teddy Purcell
Jimmy Hayes
Dale Weise
Ryan Reaves
Jared Boll
Matt Halischuk
Jordin Tootoo

Defensemen

Alec Martinez
Andrew MacDonald
Kevin Klein
Mattias Ekholm
Luca Sbisa
Jared Cowen
Jason Demers
Matt Dumba


Goaltenders

Brian Elliott
Jonas Hiller
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jeff Zatkoff


Team B:
Left Wing

Jamie McGinn
Emerson Etem
Kyle Clifford

Center

Artem Anisimov
Darren Helm
Lars Eller
Leo Komarov
Brian Boyle
Derek Mackenzie
Erik Haula

Right Wing

Ales Hemsky
Cam Atkinson
Alex Chiasson
Derek Dorsett
Steve Moses

Defensemen

Josh Gorges
Eric Gelinas
Dennis Seidenberg
Justin Braun
Nick Holden
Mark Fayne
Ben Chiarot
Ben Lovejoy
Klas Dahlbeck
Alex Petrovic


Goaltenders

Frederik Andersen
Eddie Lack
Philipp Grubauer


With that the expansion draft is done. Where did I go wrong? Where do you think these teams would finish if they were to play in the upcoming season?
I hope you enjoyed reading and happy hockey.
Contact me
Email: [email][email protected][/email]
Twitter: @LimitedIceTime
Or leave a comment.
July 16, 2015 5:23 AM ET | Delete
Great blog, an intresting topic and a fun read!
July 16, 2015 8:55 AM ET | Delete
this is stupid, you are stupid. why wouldnt TB protect Vasilevskiy, but down the meth kid
July 16, 2015 1:02 PM ET | Delete
Ajemark and Aleddo thanks for reading.
July 16, 2015 1:10 PM ET | Delete
Jonathan Drouin and other players would be available in the draft if Vasilevskiy was protected.
July 16, 2015 1:13 PM ET | Delete
Saying that TB would do what SJ did with Nabokov in the 2000 expansion draft.
July 16, 2015 1:15 PM ET | Delete
SJ gave both the new teams picks and players not to take Nabokov
July 16, 2015 2:00 PM ET | Delete
Interesting read, but a couple of notes on the Ottawa players: Cowen would be protected and Chiasson will be making about $1 million not $2.5 million
July 16, 2015 3:53 PM ET | Delete
Thank you for the feedback Statsman.
July 19, 2015 12:09 AM ET | Delete
Do you even watch hockey? This was bad and you should feel bad.
July 19, 2015 4:19 AM ET | Delete
Their just my opinions.
July 21, 2015 6:23 PM ET | Delete
Good stuff. I would have done the same thing taking the goalies 1 and 2. I probably would have went with Colbourne higher and Reeves later. Nice work by you.
July 23, 2015 7:00 PM ET | Delete
Thank you
July 28, 2015 12:47 AM ET | Delete
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