There exists a real-world scenario, and it’s not even all that farfetched, in which I could suit up and tend goal in an actual points-on-the-line game for your NHL Seattle franchise in 2021 and beyond.
Anyone who has seen me play goalie as an adult would likely agree that this not-so-farfetched notion is actually a huge problem.I’m a beer leaguer, and a mediocre one at that. With unimpressive Greater Seattle Hockey League stats, a bit of a belly (I’m working on it! Lay off me!), a ripped and unzippable Cooper hockey bag constructed circa 1994, and a mask that I had painted with my hometown’s colors when I was a peewee, I have no business ever being considered an option to suit up even to practice with an NHL team, let alone enter an actual game with playoff implications. Put another way, you do not want me playing for your soon-to-be-beloved Crapweasels (or whatever NHL Seattle names itself, though Crapweasels is the obvious choice).
And yet… it’s possible. That’s ridiculous.
What transpired in Saturday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes was one of the most shocking and awe-inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed in an NHL hockey game. James Reimer went down with a leg injury in the opening minutes of the game after Jaccob Slavin fell on him in the goal crease. It happens. It’s a contact sport, played at extremely high speeds, and guys get hurt sometimes. Reimer’s replacement, Petr Mrazek, came out to play a puck in the second period and got absolutely trucked by Jake Muzzin, sending Mrazek to the quiet room and removing him from the game. Again, it’s unfortunate, but it happens.
Chances of both goalies having to leave a game are slim, but… it’s hockey… it happens.
For these situations, every NHL team is required to have an EBUG (emergency back-up goalie) in attendance for each home game, and that EBUG serves the role for both teams playing on that given night. The people who perform this typically thankless task do not get paid for their services of showing up to a significant number of the home team’s games (there are normally two or three individuals who share the EBUG duties), but they do get to sit in the press box and attend NHL games for free, which I guess is kind of cool.
Maybe the NHL has it right by allowing teams to have a beer league goalie serve this position. After all, spending any amount of payroll on a player that will most likely never play is a little crazy, right?
But then a game transpires in the way that Saturday’s game did.
The EBUG that night was David Ayres, a 42-year-old ice arena maintenance man/Zamboni driver and kidney transplant survivor, who so happens to be a diehard Leafs fan. When Mrazek went down, Ayres got the unthinkable text to get in the game, so several minutes later, out he came onto the Scotiabank Arena ice, sporting a Toronto Marlies mask, coordinated blue and white gear, and… a white jersey that said “Canes” diagonally across the chest. It’s been widely reported that Ayres was even wearing a Leafs t-shirt under his equipment when he first entered the game, but was later implored by his temporary team to swap that out for a Hurricanes shirt.
Ayres ended up playing almost half the game against his favorite team, making eight of ten saves to become the first emergency goalie to officially get credited with a win, and was named the first star of the game. He also made history as the oldest goaltender to win his NHL debut. Now the Hurricanes are selling his shirsey, and he’s making royalties off of it and working with the team to donate proceeds to a kidney foundation.
“Ayres will receive royalties for the shirt and a portion of the proceeds will go to a kidney foundation.” https://t.co/wNmkWZGH9K
I mean, it’s all pretty incredible, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sports story in recent memory.
As I was watching it, though—and don’t get me wrong here, I loved every moment of it—I couldn’t help thinking, Isn’t there anybody more qualified that they can get for this? This is awesome and all, and I’m really happy for this guy, but Jesus, this is in Toronto! Wouldn’t quality emergency goalies grow on trees in Toronto?
Brian Burke brashly agreed with my sentiments on his Sportsnet “To The Point” segment, although his proposed solution of the NHL setting quality standards for EBUG’s, but not really changing the system, is a bit flawed.
— Right Wing, Shoots Left 🍷🐓🏒🥅🌈😷 (@HILITINGHOCKEY) February 23, 2020
The issue with Burke’s plan is that in markets where hockey still isn’t all that mainstream, how are they going to find high-level goalies that will just hang around all the time without getting even reasonably compensated? I also don’t think this event was “embarrassing” for the NHL, as Burke called it, but I do think it’s something that needs to be addressed. After all, this is the second time in three years that the emergency goalie has been thrust into NHL action, with then 36-year-old accountant, Scott Foster, the unexpected savior for the Blackhawks in 2018.
Both EBUG situations were great stories with great endings, but what the hell? This is the best hockey league in the world, and in any other major sports league that makes billions in revenue, when was the last time you heard of an accountant or maintenance worker subbing into an actual game?
My argument is a bit more aggressive than Burke’s, in that the emergency goalie should be more like a third-stringer that is paid by each individual team, travels with that team, and fills in in practices as needed. My vision for the EBUG is akin to the bullpen catcher in baseball, somebody who played at a high level, but realized at some point that he or she wasn’t going to make it and no longer has the drive to make it to the highest echelons of the sport. Give that netminder a $30K salary for the six-month regular season, and maybe a $5,000 bonus per month, should the team progress through postseason rounds. In exchange, get a full-season commitment from that goalie to do whatever the team needs.
This version of the EBUG would not require teams to use a roster spot for a third goalie or even count it as an NHL or AHL contract, yet each club would have a vested interest to find the right fit for the position. I believe quality goalies would flock to NHL cities for the opportunity to join a team in this capacity, even for that small of a salary. In turn, it would give each team a netminder who actually can play in a pinch and doesn’t completely shock the sports world by being called upon.
Or, we can just continue with this current setup, and perhaps you’ll see me in the goalcrease for the Crapweasels in a couple years.
The Western Hockey League’s first ever US Challenge Cup kicked off this weekend in Kent. This 12-team tournament brings to town some of the best bantam teams in the Western United States & Canada. The tournament showcases the elite bantam players to scouts of WHL Teams and also helps introduce the WHL to these elite US bantam players who might not be as familiar with the WHL as Canadian players are already. The hope for the WHL is that some of the US born players would then choose the WHL as they take the next step in their hockey careers.
Naturally, I looked at the data to see how the WHL has been doing at identifying and recruiting elite US hockey players.
2019-20 season has seen the highest percent of US hockey players in the WHL at 9%.
Interestingly, US hockey players are more likely to play for one of the 5 US WHL teams than for one of the Canadian teams.
The Seattle Thunderbirds, host of the US Challenge Cup, are the outlier relative to the other US teams with only 1 US player on their roster, but this should change in the coming years….
Bantam Draft
The WHL Bantam Draft is the main gateway to the WHL. Most of the WHL players are drafted in the Bantam Draft.
Over the last two years, the US WHL teams have drafted the most US players from the WHL Bantam Draft. As the WHL attempts to attract more US players, it will be interesting to see if any of these numbers change more dramatically than they are already trending.
Very fun episode this week, filled with top-notch Sound of Hockey banter.
Andy, celebrating his birthday and in the midst of a five-games-in-five-days “heater,” discusses his recent exhausting shift to life on the road, while John and Darren are chipper as can be.
Just lots of NHL news this week, from another coach firing, to suspensions and non-suspensions, injuries to big-time players, and significant trades. Ah, yes, it’s been quite the week in the hockey world, and the guys break all of it down.
Oh, and they discuss another NHL Seattle team name rumor.
Segments this week include Bad Boys, You Don’t See That Every Day, and Weekly One-Timers.
Very fun episode this week, filled with top-notch Sound of Hockey banter.
Andy, celebrating his birthday and in the midst of a five-games-in-five-days “heater,” discusses his recent exhausting shift to life on the road, while John and Darren are chipper as can be.
Just lots of NHL news this week, from another coach firing, to suspensions and non-suspensions, injuries to big-time players, and significant trades. Ah, yes, it’s been quite the week in the hockey world, and the guys break all of it down.
Oh, and they discuss another NHL Seattle team name rumor.
Segments this week include Bad Boys, You Don’t See That Every Day, and Weekly One-Timers.
In Episode 73, Darren gets really carried away with segues, but fortunately Andy has returned from his brief hiatus to… egg Darren on even more. John, meanwhile, listens on in disgust.
Fun episode this week, nonetheless, as the gang gets back together to break down a couple of pretty big pre-deadline trades (one of which requires significant #Minnutiae). The guys also consider which other big-name players could soon be on the move as the deadline approaches.
Also in this episode, an update on local WHL shenanigans, Vegas moving its new AHL affiliate closer to home, and a pretty solid dose of college hockey talk.
Segments this week include You Don’t See That Every Day, Goalie Gear Corner, and Weekly One-Timers.
It is that time of year when I check in on how attendance is faring across the NHL. This is data, not an indictment of any fan base. It is natural for teams take a hit in attendance with extended periods of playoff droughts that are inevitable for all teams. There are also many other factors that should go into determining overall health of a franchise such as ticket prices, TV ratings, sponsorship deals, and merchandise sales, attendance is just one small part of the picture.
TEAM BY TEAM CHANGE IN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
In relatively predictable manner, the teams that are on up swing on the ice, are seeing a resurgence in attendance, while teams that have missed the playoffs the last few seasons have seen a drop in attendance.
SELL OUTS
Another metric I like to look at is the % of games that are sold out. As a league, there is no change year over year but it gets more interesting when you look at it on a team by team basis.
Here is one last detailed view of how all the teams are trending season over season.
New York Islanders
For those that don’t know, the New York Islanders have a unique situation where they are splitting their home games between Barclays-Brooklyn and NYCB Live-Nassau Coliseum. For a look at their attendance I put this chart together.
Bobby Skinner didn’t make every hockey team he tried out for and was cut on more than one occasion.
Those setbacks didn’t stop him from pushing forward, however. He would work on his game, improve his fitness, he would persevere. That dedication to the sport eventually paid off as the defenseman made the cut to play for the Seattle Jr. Totems where he would become captain during his second season. That self-belief and drive led to him to Boise State University after his Totems days, to play hockey for the Broncos.
Boise State’s Bobby Skinner lost his life in August of 2019. (Skinner family)
The loss of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare and Skinner’s mother and father, Tricia and Bob Skinner, want to honor their only son’s legacy by giving back to the local Seattle hockey community that Bobby loved so much. The Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund has been created in his memory to provide assistance for kids and families to have easier access to hockey.
“We wanted to do something good out of what happened with this tragedy,” Tricia Skinner says. “Bobby loved hockey, he loved helping people. I kind of came up with the hockey for all idea. Especially for minorities who can’t afford it and kids with single parents who have trouble getting there and costs.
“I want it to be a community, build more of a community and make it more accessible. Make it a fun sport, kind of like soccer. Maybe, make it an after school hockey program so we could pick up kids from school on a bus.”
Thanks to a family connection the fund’s initial gift, and ongoing support, is coming from the Ackerley Foundation.
Christopher and Ted Ackerely are part of the investment and ownership group of NHL Seattle but the desire to be a part of the Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund was inspired by Bobby’s story and journey.
“I think the thing that really struck me was his being so young,” Ted Ackerley says. “I knew he was a hockey player and how well loved he was by his teammates. I didn’t know him personally, but I know that he was having a big impact in Boise.”
Prior to playing at Boise State, Bobby Skinner played for the Seattle Jr. Totems. (Skinner family)
The Fund will start with a balance of $100,000 with the Ackerley’s gifting $25,000 initially. The remaining funds will come from a number of contributors. The hope is that through the initial funding and public donations, it can become a long-standing program to give back to the local community.
A board will be established and planning for initiatives and proposals are still in their early stages.
“To have the opportunity to launch something that comes from such a heartfelt place with the tragic events I think will resonate with people,” Ackerley says. “We’re excited to be part of something that will come from a good place. We think families and kids from across the region will want to support and I think ultimately over the next 10, 20 years people will look back to this spot and say that was a real catalyst to make hockey more accessible and affordable to a lot of kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to.”
Helping others and giving back to the community are all traits that describe Bobby Skinner and how he lived his short life.
Born in New Jersey, Skinner got into hockey thanks to his father, Bob, who initially was looking for an outlet for his son’s pent up energy. The family would move to Seattle in 2002 and Skinner would go on to play for both Seattle Junior and SnoKing.
Bobby Skinner played for both Seattle Junior and SnoKing hockey. (Skinner family)
He would eventually move to Idaho and play for the Compete Hockey Academy before playing for the Wenatchee Wolves prior to landing with the Totems.
“(Hockey) was a very important part of his life,” Bob Skinner says. “It was the basis for a lot of friendships. It was the basis for his confidence and personal growth.”
After Skinner’s death, an outpouring of grief and love flowed from the hockey Community. The Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL honored him before an early season game and created a Bobby Skinner Youth Hockey Foundation to fund Idaho youth hockey.
Skinner’s teammates also expressed their grief. Listening and hearing how they describe him, you can understand how he was selected captain with the Totems.
One teammate, Sam Hauser, not only played alongside Skinner, but also billeted with the Skinner family. Hauser penned a heartfelt letter to his lost mate after Skinner’s passing.
“There wasn’t a person that you didn’t strive to make happy,” Hauser wrote. “It was the quality I have always admired most about you. Your never-ending desire to make others feel loved and wanted is something that I didn’t know existed until I met you. Whether it was going to hangout with someone that was having a tough day or showing a new teammate around Seattle, you never felt you were too important to give your time and energy to others.”
Skinner not only loved hockey but he was driven to explore life.
He saved up money by working in the off season to travel to Thailand. He studied Muay Thai kick-boxing and dreamed of opening up a taco stand while there.
“He would have done it, too,” Tricia Skinner says.
Bobby Skinner (right) with his Boise State teammates. (Skinner family)
Skinner’s death is a loss to not only his family and friends but to the Northwest hockey scene as well.
The creation of a memorial fund in his name will be able to give back to the sport that gave him so much. It cements his legacy and honors him by holding the same attributes and characteristics that he did. The hockey community is close-nit and this initiative will help it grow as well as help the Skinners with the loss of their son.
“For me to jump into something like this, it will help me move forward.” Tricia Skinner says. “I can’t even explain the gratitude we have.”
Donations can be made online as well as directly via check sent to the Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund at PO Box 1773 – Woodinville, WA 98072.
WOW! This is another BIG episode, with another BIG-TIME guest!
Fresh off of competing in the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 for Team USA, where she scored the loan goal for the Stars and Stripes, the legendary HILARY KNIGHT joins Sound of Hockey for an awesome interview!
With Hilary, the guys discuss her experiences at the NHL All-Star Game and what it meant to her to be able to compete on such a huge stage. She also gives her first-hand account of why the #ForTheGame Movement is so important, and how a viable women’s professional hockey league should actually look. Oh, and of course she dishes some trash talk toward Team Canada, because why wouldn’t she?
Also in this episode, John, Andy, and Darren chat about the All-Star Game and some of its memorable (and not-so-memorable) moments, consider the news of potential changes to the AHL and how they could impact Seattle, and argue over ferry schedules.
During his 16-year NHL career Stu Barnes played with many different teams. Monday, the NHL Seattle pro scout met his new team in person for the first time since joining the expansion franchise in September.
Barnes, along with the rest of the Seattle scouting group are in town to meet each other and go over preliminary scouting reports with General Manager Ron Francis, Assistant General Manager Ricky Olczyk, and Director of Hockey Administration Alexandra Mandrycky.
All five scouts will be appearing Tuesday night at the Pacific Science Center for a public forum to talk about the scouting process. Barnes will be on the stage along with Cammi Granato, Ulf Samuelsson, Dave Hunter, and John Goodwin.
“I knew Ronnie from playing with him in Pittsburgh and Ulfie I knew a little from playing against and mutual friends,” Barnes says about his new teammates. “Getting to meet the other guys has been great. I talked to Ricky a lot on the phone this fall. It’s a nice bunch of people and to see the office and the excitement, it’s awesome.”
His time with NHL Seattle has just begun but Barnes is not new to Seattle or the Northwest.
Barnes started his hockey journey across the border playing in the Western Hockey League with the New Westminster Bruins in 1987. He burst out with a strong rookie season by scoring 37 goals while piling up 101 points.
At the conclusion of that season, the Bruins packed up and relocated to Kennewick, giving berth to the Tri-City Americans.
“All of a sudden we’re moving to Tri-City and nobody really knew where that was,” Barnes says. “We went down in the summer for a preview on the Fourth of July and it was hot, it was like 105 degrees, and I’m from Edmonton.”
Stu Barnes played with the Tri-City Americans during their first two seasons in the WHL. (Tri-City Americans photo)
When the following season rolled around, the arena in Kennewick wasn’t ready so the team had to start on the road for the first 17 games.
The road start didn’t hurt Barnes’ game. He would score 59 goals that first year in Tri-City, along with an astonishing 82 assists as the Americans made the playoffs in their inaugural season.
“We were sold out every night,” Barnes says. “We had some good players. I think we had four guys who ended up playing significant time in the NHL.”
At the end of the season, Barnes was selected fourth overall in the 1989 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets.
Before he embarked on his pro career he would return to Tri-City for one more season in 1989-1990 and turned in another monster campaign with 52 more goals, 91 assists and 144 points. He would make his NHL debut with the Jets in 1991 and go on to play 1,136 games with the Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars.
His NHL career saw him play in the Stanley Cup Final with Florida and Buffalo and he was a teammate of Francis’ in Pittsburgh.
As Barnes left the Northwest his connection to the region didn’t end.
He met his wife during his time in Kennewick and maintained an off-season home there for many years, as did his Americans’ teammate Olaf Kolzig. In 2004, a chance to purchase an ownership stake in the Americans presented itself and the former teammates jumped at it.
The duo has owned the club since.
“We were lucky because we had such a good experience,” Barnes says. “When we got involved, we wanted our guys to have a great experience. Obviously you want to be successful with wins and all that kind of stuff, but in the end we wanted players to come into our organization and spend whatever amount of time they’re there, and when they move on say ‘what a great experience that was, I had a great time’. Hopefully they move on to play pro hockey or go on to use their scholarship.”
As a player in the WHL with New Westminster and Tri-City, Barnes would play many games in Seattle.
After playing junior with the Tri-City Americans, Stu Barnes is now part of the team’s ownership group. (Tri-City Americans photo)
He played against the Thunderbirds in the old Mercer Arena as well as appearing under the iconic roof at what was the Seattle Coliseum. He was on the visitor’s side but remembers the hockey scene in Seattle well.
“Great fans,” Barnes says. “I know my second year in the league they had a really good team. Glen Goodall was scoring at will, he was an automatic three, four points a night guy. What an atmosphere it was. It was always loud, and they cranked that Gary Glitter ‘Rock n Roll’ song. I heard that thing about eight times a night every time I came in here. It was fun.”
Transition to scouting
Barnes retired from the NHL as a player in 2008. His career ended with the Dallas Stars and he would go on to work for the Stars as an assistant coach and consultant.
When the opportunity to join NHL Seattle arose, it was an easy decision.
“Just the connection over the years with this part of the world,” he adds. “I have family in the area, in Tri-City, and always thought what a fantastic hockey town this is. I played here for three years against the Thunderbirds and love the city and this part of the country.”
Based out of Dallas, where he makes his home now, Barnes has been on the job since the start of the NHL season.
He and his fellow pro scouts have started the process to prepare NHL Seattle for the expansion draft in 2021. They are scouting current NHL players, gathering information and thoughts on who might be available and who looks to be the right type of player to bring on.
“Everybody wants, obviously, players that are high skilled and competitive,” Barnes says. “I think for now it’s about getting a good, strong base of knowledge about as many players as possible.”
Barnes has never worked full time as a scout before but as an assistant coach has experience in player evaluation. A big part of coaching is breaking down film on your players as well as pre scouting your opponents.
His experience behind the bench and on the ice as a player is a valuable asset but Barnes says that scouting has been a transition for him.
“It’s less stress,” Barnes says with a smile. “With the situation we’re in we are looking out a year and half from now. As a player and coach, I think everything is ‘right now’. You have to win now, score now, don’t make a mistake now. It’s different but it’s been a learning experience and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As a player and owner in Tri-City, Barnes has had an impact on Northwest hockey for three decades. Now with NHL Seattle, his impact on the local hockey scene continues to grow as hockey grows in Seattle.
I will be doing a series of posts on the Vegas Golden Knights to help understand likely scenarios for Seattle in just 15 months’ time when Seattle starts building their roster. This first post is taking a look at how Vegas approached their NHL Expansion Draft.
Pre NHL Expansion Draft
The Vegas Golden Knights were able to accumulate two groups of assets: 1) the right (and obligation) to select one player from each of the 30 existing teams in the Expansion Draft 2) NHL Entry Draft Picks. There are rules and requirements of the Expansion Draft, but that is a post for a different time. There were also a couple Free Agent signings before the Expansion Draft, but the focus of this first post is on the assets Vegas accumulated in that Expansion Draft. Vegas’s negotiations of Expansion Draft player selections also had a major impact to their Entry Draft Picks. As a matter of setting a visual baseline, here is simply what Vegas’s Expansion Draft selection and Entry Draft Picks would have looked like at the start. Just like all NHL teams, the Vegas Golden Knights are entitled to 7 NHL Entry Draft Picks per year.
I know this is a simple bar chart that probably doesn’t need to be a standalone visual but just bear with me a bit.
Requirements and Side Deals
The expansion rules stated that the Golden Knights were required to select one unprotected Expansion Draft eligible player per team in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. There was a lot of nuance in the expansion rules in regards to protecting players, but to keep it simple, let’s just assume one player must be selected from each NHL team. What is also allowed, which was used strategically by Vegas, is the negotiation of terms of their player selection with each respected team. This is commonly referred to as a “Side Deal”. An example of this was when Anaheim agreed to trade Shea Theodore to Vegas if Vegas selected Clayton Stoner in the Expansion Draft. Clayton Stoner was injured and would never play another NHL game. Theodore was a young up and coming defenseman for Anaheim. Vegas gets a young prospect while Anaheim would get the Clayton Stoner contract and financial commitment taken off their books. There was a total of 10 Side Deals in the Expansion Draft that netted the Golden Knights an additional 6 players, 10 Entry Draft picks, and signing rights to one player.
Summary of the Expansion Draft.
From a player perspective, this is how players were acquired in the Expansion Draft.
Notes: In the example above, Clayton Stoner would be considered “Expansion” while Shea Theodore would be considered “Expansion (Trade)”. Nikita Gusev was unsigned at the time of the Expansion Draft but his NHL rights were owned by Tampa Bay and traded to Vegas via a “Side Deal”. That asset is classified as “Expansion (Trade-Rights)” in the chart above.
Expansion Draft Detail
Shuffle the Assets
The makeup of the Golden Knights assets from the Expansion Draft would start to morph over time as the Golden Knights would start to shuffle things around. Keep in mind that an NHL roster carries 23 players and even with Vegas’s AHL team it was inevitable that Vegas would need to cut down its player assets.
At a high-level, there were 4 different scenarios that would play out of these player assets.
Left Via UFA – This is a scenario where Vegas drafted a player that they knew would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st (a week later). This would imply they had no intention of signing this impeding and free agent and did not see any other notable assets on the NHL team’s roster from which they came. Thorburn (WPG), Brickley (CAR), & Berube (NYI) are the players in this category.
The Flip-Trade – In this scenario, the Golden Knights more than likely had a predetermined arrangement with another NHL Team that if Vegas chose player X on Team A, then Team B would then trade assets 1 & 2 to Vegas for player X. There were 4 players that were immediately traded to another NHL Team, quite literally, the very next day after being drafted in the Expansion Draft. Emeline (MON -> NSH), Schlemko (SJS -> MON), Methot (OTT -> DAL), and van Riemsdyk (CHI -> CAR) are in this category.
LTIR/ Salary Dump – this is a scenario where a team had some deadweight on their roster that was eating into their salary cap. Vegas would have a lot of room in their salary cap and could take on the cap-hit in exchange for other assets. Stoner (ANA), Clarkson (CBJ), and Grabovski (NYI) fit in this category. (LTIR = Long Term Injured Reserve)
Trade – This was more of a conventional trade that really didn’t have anything to do with the Expansion Draft other than the asset. Calvin Pickard was acquired in the Expansion Draft, but was traded to Toronto in October after Vegas would claim Malcom Subban (not reflected in chart below) off waivers right before the inaugural season.
Start of the inaugural Season
Here is a final look at the players that were acquired directly or indirectly via Expansion Draft that would start the 2017-18 season as property of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Of course, one of the biggest stories with the Expansion Draft was how Vegas accumulated NHL Entry Draft picks. Draft picks were acquired in the Side Deals and the Flip-trades. Vegas would acquire a net of an additional 14 draft picks via Side Deals and trades.
The Seattle expansion might not look like the Vegas Expansion Draft, but the scenarios will be similar. Most pundits are forecasting that there won’t be a lot of Side Deals available for the Seattle Expansion Draft. It’s possible, but there will be teams with too many quality assets at one position that would require exposing those assets in the Expansion Draft. Teams could be motivated to trade a prospect or two, to keep Seattle from selecting an unprotected player. Furthermore, there will likely be salary cap issues of some NHL teams that can be exploited for Seattle. For more information on the Expansion draft rules, check out this post on NHL.com.
In the next post, I will dig into how these assets were used in the 2017-18 season. For players, it will be where they played and for the entry draft picks, how they were utilized (i.e. picks or trades).
As the WHL attempts to attract more US players, it will be interesting to see if any of these numbers change more dramatically than they are already trending.
