The NHL released their protection lists from all 30 teams ahead of the expansion draft for the Las Vegas Golden Knights. It’s going to be an interesting NHL expansion draft in a couple of days when the Knights do in fact make their selections. Remember that the rules were as follows: either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender of the other option is to protect eight skaters (forwards or defensemen) and one goaltender. That has made it challenging for a number of teams, which means that the Knights should have some good options to work with. With that in mind, here are the most notable names left exposed by their teams.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fleury might be the biggest name on the market after winning his third Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Penguins have moved in the direction of Matt Murray, who is 23 while Fleury is 32. However, Fleury showed he can still do a job for a team as he took over for an injured Murray in the playoffs and went 9-6 with a GAA of 2.56, but Murray took the job back when he was healthy. Goalie is a very important position for a new team, and Fleury definitely has the championship pedigree that would be good in the locker room.
Fleury is very likely to be selected by the Las Vegas Knights because he has proven many times that he can be a top-flight goaltender. He’ll probably struggle a little bit because he won’t have the same type of team around him. However, he’s by far and away the best option available to the Knights right now.
Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
Luongo was injured for the second half of the season for Florida and at 38, that has to be worrying for the Golden Knights. However, Luongo can also still do a job for a team for a year or two, and if nothing else, the Golden Knights could pick him up and use him as an asset in a trade. You can never have enough goaltending in the NHL, and Luongo is still a pretty good one.
Remember that while Luongo may be a lower tier NHL starter, the fact of the matter is that the Knights have literally nobody to work with at this point. Luongo is a good starting point should they decide to go in that direction.
Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators
Ryan was excellent for Ottawa in their run to the Eastern Conference finals as he had six goals and nine assists in 19 playoff games, and at 30, he still has some good years left. The problem is his contract as Ryan signed a seven-year deal worth $50.75 million in 2014 and that is a lot of salary for an expansion team to take on. That could handcuff them going ahead, but Ryan is a very talented offensive forward who would get the fans excited in Las Vegas.
James Neal, Nashville Predators
When it comes to consistency, there aren’t many players more consistent than Neal, who hit the 20-goal mark for the ninth time in his career and he added another six in Nashville’s run to the Stanley Cup finals, where they were beaten by Neal’s former team, Pittsburgh. Neal is still 29 years old as well and will turn 30 just before the season starts, and the Golden Knights could do worse than pick up Neal, but they’ll have to find someone to set him up as Neal isn’t much of a playmaker. But they get someone who can get him the puck, he would be worth it.
Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild
Staal had his best season in a long time with 28 goals for Minnesota, although he struggled in the playoffs with an assist in five games. He can still put points on the board, but Staal’s leadership would be a great thing for the Golden Knights as he has proven that he can be good in the locker room and help build a winning culture. That is one of the most important things for a new team and the Golden Knights should take a long look at Staal, who is 32.
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