After more than a year of speculation, NHL teams on Sunday revealed their protected lists for Wednesday's expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights.
From the Blackhawks perspective, there were no surprises in whom they left vulnerable.
Center Marcus Kruger and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk were the most notable names the Hawks left unprotected among players under contract for next season or beyond. The Hawks would like to shed the contract of Kruger, who carries a salary-cap hit of about $3.1 million.
According to the draft rules, the Knights must select one player from every team and the Hawks had to protect any players with no-movement clauses in their contracts. Those players accounted for eight of the 11 the Hawks protected.
The Hawks protected seven forwards, three defensemen and goaltender Corey Crawford.
The forwards were Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Richard Panik, Ryan Hartman and Tomas Jurco. The defensemen were Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson. All three defenseman plus Toews, Kane, Hossa, Anisimov and Crawford have no-movement clauses.
Teams did not have to protect any player completing his first or second year in the AHL or NHL, so the Hawks did not have to use a slot on Artemi Panarin or Nick Schmaltz. They had to protect Hartman because he played two seasons in the AHL in addition to his first in the NHL last season.
The rules gave teams two options: protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or protect any combination of eight forwards and defensemen and one goaltender. Teams employed the latter option if they wanted to protect four or more defensemen.
The Hawks left Kruger and van Riemsdyk vulnerable in favor of protecting Panik, whom they just signed to a two-year extension; Hartman, who is coming off a strong rookie season; and Jurco, a restricted free agent whom general manager Stan Bowman liked so much, he gave up a third-round draft pick to acquire him at the trade deadline.
The Hawks have been trying to move Kruger's contract to create cap space, and TSN reported last month the Hawks and Knights might have a deal in place for the Knights to take both Kruger and van Riemsdyk in the expansion draft. League sources have said such a deal remains a possibility.
The NHL has initiated a leaguewide roster freeze until Thursday for any moves except those involving the Knights. Teams could make moves to ensure the Knights do not take a specific player off their unprotected list or to take a certain player.
Knights GM George McPhee told reporters he would give every team a chance to protect its NHL roster as is through negotiations.
