After a half-hour delay, the NHL finally released the protected lists Sunday for the upcoming expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Carolina Hurricanes had no real surprises. Nor were any expected.
The Canes protected goalie Scott Darling, forwards Jordan Staal, Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Teuvo Teravainen, Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe; and defensemen Justin Faulk, Ryan Murphy and Trevor Carrick.
Among those left unprotected, and available to the Golden Knights in the draft, were goalies Cam Ward and Eddie Lack, forwards Lee Stempniak and Joakim Nordstrom, and defenseman Klas Dahlbeck.
The Golden Knights, who begin play next season as the NHL's 31st team, will pick one player from each of the 30 teams. The selections will be announced Wednesday during the NHL Awards Show from Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights must select at least three goalies in the draft but could select more. It's possible Vegas general manager George McPhee might consider Ward, a veteran and former Stanley Cup winner with the Canes, or could take Lack.
Canes general manager Ron Francis said Friday that he has had conversations with McPhee, although he noted "probably not as much as other teams have had."
The trade for Darling has left the Canes in the position of needing to shed a goalie. Darling will have a $4.15 million salary next season while Ward is due $3.3 million and Lack $2.75 million.
Asked how he might resolve the goaltending situation, Francis said, "You can always resolve it if you give up a high draft pick." He did not say whether that might be an option with McPhee and the Golden Knights.
McPhee will be fielding many offers in the next few days as teams try to keep available players from being drafted. It's possible the Canes could offer McPhee a draft pick to select a goalie _ perhaps Lack.
Francis didn't say what his plans might be, saying, "We'll just see where we are and what happens" in the expansion draft.
NHL teams had two options for putting together their protected lists for the draft: either protect a goalie and eight skaters, or a goalie, seven forwards and three defensemen. First- and second-year players were exempt _ in the Canes' case, forward Sebastian Aho and defensemen Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Noah Hanifin.
Teams were required to expose a minimum of two forwards and one defensemen who were under contract for the 2017-18 season and had played a minimum of 40 games last season or 70 games in the past two seasons. Stempniak, Nordstrom and Dahlbeck _ who was signed to a one-year contract after the season _ fit the requirements.
