This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021.
Let’s get something out of the way off the hop: The Seattle mock expansion draft series has been an exercise dominated by projections.
We don't have all the answers relating to an event that will take place in June 2021. The protected lists and picks we've posted over the past few days and the mock lineup below are educated guesses, not absolute certainties.
Even NHL Seattle senior advisor Dave Tippett - a man who will have his fingerprints all over the actual expansion draft process - is guessing at this point in time, a good 30 months out.
All of that being said, this week we attempted to:
Fairly assess not only the trajectory of the 30 NHL clubs faced with filing protected lists in 2021 but also their salary cap situation in the short, medium, and long term
Make rational decisions on pending free agents for 2019 and 2020, factoring in each player’s relationship with his current club and perceived motivation to hit the open market
Avoid any hypothetical trade or buyout scenarios
The end result? A 30-man roster for the Seattle Whatevers. Enjoy.
Depth chart
Forwards
LW
C
RW
Kevin Fiala
Tyler Johnson
TJ Oshie
Ryan Dzingel
Vladislav Namestnikov
Jakob Silfverberg
Miles Wood
Denis Malgin
Tyler Toffoli
Nikolay Goldobin
Ivan Barbashev
Connor Brown
Jason Dickinson
Antti Suomela
Dominik Kahun
Vladislav Kamenev
Jujhar Khaira
Defensemen
LD
RD
TJ Brodie
Josh Manson
Sami Niku
Chris Tanev
Jake Bean
Jared Spurgeon
Matt Grzelcyk
Philippe Myers
Victor Mete
Vili Saarijarvi
Goalies
G
Jonathan Quick
Casey DeSmith
Adin Hill
Roster takeaways
A few thoughts on the projected depth chart:
Plenty of modern blue-liners at Seattle's disposal. A top six of TJ Brodie, Josh Manson, Sami Niku, Chris Tanev, Jake Bean, and Jared Spurgeon looks silly-good on paper, especially when you consider the development period between now and the start of the 2021-22 season.
Right wing is another strength. Barring major drop-offs in production, TJ Oshie, Jakob Silfverberg, and Tyler Toffoli could form a legitimate one-two-three punch. And Connor Brown, who will be 27, slides in nicely in the four-spot.
As for weaknesses, the center position lacks both a star and depth, and goaltending is very much up in the air. None of the six pivots seem fit for first-line duty, while Jonathan Quick's age may deem him largely irrelevant. Also of note: Casey DeSmith and Adin Hill are still vastly unproven at this point, so nothing is a sure thing.
Overall, as with most expansion rosters, this group lacks offensive catalysts. Who is grabbing the bull by the horns up front? Who is the go-to playmaker? A guy like Kevin Fiala, for instance, is probably more of a complementary piece than a line driver. Seattle, like Vegas last year, would be scoring by committee in the early going of its inaugural season.
This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021. Today, we project the Pacific Division.
Before diving into our Pacific Division projections, here's a refresher on the expansion draft process:
Teams must submit a protected-players list of either seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie OR eight skaters and one goalie
All players with no-movement clauses must be protected
All first- and second-year players, as well as unsigned draft picks, are exempt and can't be picked
Any player with a career-ending injury is also exempt
And some notes about our process:
We assumed most 2019 and '20 restricted free agents will re-sign with their current club
We made judgment calls on 2019 and '20 unrestricted free agents, projecting some will stay with their current team and others will leave
We didn't factor in any trades or buyouts between now and June 2021
In the tables below, * indicates the player is a projected free-agent signing before 2021, while boldtext indicates the player has a no-movement clause
The Ducks could find themselves in a pickle if they don't move a defenseman before the expansion draft. They could protect Lindholm, Fowler, Montour, and Manson, but that would limit themselves to protecting four forwards and they'd almost certainly lose either Kase or Steel. Needing offense, we project the Ducks would bite the bullet and go with seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie. This will expose Manson, handing Seattle a tough, shutdown rearguard.
Could Neal be taken in consecutive expansion drafts? It's a possibility, but we don't think it will happen, considering the availability of both Brodie and Giordano. Even though we believe Calgary will re-sign Brodie - and let Travis Hamonic walk - in 2020, he's the pick here. At 31, he'll be seven years younger than Giordano for Seattle's first season.
The Oilers don't have the cap flexibility to make significant free-agent additions over the next few years, but we do have them signing Greiss to replace Cam Talbot in goal. With little to choose from, it seems plausible Seattle would pluck Khaira, a versatile forward with size, strength, and underrated skill.
We're projecting the Kings will sign Smith and Hamonic in free agency to replace Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin. In a youth movement, we expect the Kings will leave franchise legends Brown and Quick exposed. Although Walker - a puck-moving defenseman who's posted gaudy numbers in the AHL - is enticing, we think Seattle will start its existence with Quick, a former Conn Smythe winner, between the pipes.
We don't believe the Sharks' roster will look a whole lot different three years from now, with a number of pending free agents signing up for more time in the Bay Area - most notably Karlsson and Pavelski. Although this leaves Seattle with few enticing options, Suomela would provide the first-year club with some much-needed depth down the middle.
As the Canucks shift from a rebuilding team to a contending squad, we envision them signing Simmonds this summer and Faulk in 2020. Seattle would likely take a long look at Hutton, who's having a strong season, but ultimately wind up selecting Goldobin, who's oozing with potential.
AMHERST, Mass. - Throughout his hockey career, Massachusetts goaltender Matt Murray has had the two-word phrase "Family First" scrawled across the back of his mask.
This year, the 20-year-old St. Albert, Alberta native added something even more meaningful - the names of five friends he lost in last April's Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy.
The accident, which killed 16 people and severely injured 13 others, devastated the Broncos’ program and the Humboldt community. The anguish of that horrific occurrence, however, resonated beyond Humboldt and reached across the continent, and the hockey world.
Murray was among those who were hit with the pain of the incident. He has since dedicated his career to honoring the memory of the Humboldt victims through his work ethic, his play, and his mask.
"There’s not a second that goes by when I put it on where I’m not humbled at what I’m doing and just being able to carry on their legacy in the game and make them all proud and honor them in the best way that I know how," Murray told theScore.
And while the decision to carry the names of his late friends every time he takes the ice is significant enough, Murray has found another way to honor them - by putting together one of the greatest goaltending seasons in the history of UMass' storied hockey program.
Humboldt ties
KYMBER RAE / AFP / Getty
Coming up through the ranks in hockey, players develop relationships with many teammates. For Murray, it just so happened that five players he knew well were among those who didn’t survive the Humboldt accident.
Murray grew up a five-minute walk from Stephen Wack. They played minor hockey together until Murray left for Spruce Grove.
"Growing up in the same town, you get to know everybody, especially in a small town," Murray said. "We had similar interests, both being into water sports and we had similar friend groups and we hung out all the time. And he was a great, great videographer ... he had a whole YouTube channel about it.
"But the biggest thing with Stephen, he was the most ... I’m at a loss for words saying what amazing person he was, how genuine, how happy. No matter what was going on he was always somebody that you know would do the right thing and there’s no words to sum him up."
Murray was a teammate of Conner Lukan in 2014-15; the two helped lead the Spruce Grove Saints to the Alberta Junior Hockey League title.
"When you have success with a person and you grow to that level ... there is nothing held back and you know every person on your team, inside and out, and I think that’s when you’re going to find your deepest connections," Murray said about his bond with Lukan.
Logan Hunter and Jaxon Joseph were fellow St. Albert natives.
"Logan went to the same school as me, he was a grade under because he’s a year younger," Murray said. "And then I knew him through some mutual friends. And then Jaxon, he went to school with Stephen and his dad (Chris) played a huge role in St. Albert minor hockey, and I’ve played with him in the summer on teams and stuff like that."
Murray connected to Parker Tobin as part of the universal goaltender fraternity. They crossed paths during their minor hockey careers.
"Parker I knew fairly closely from when he played in Spruce Grove in midget when I was there for junior hockey. And I saw him rising into the AJ as well," Murray said.
Murray was devastated when he got the call about the accident. He was granted permission to go home, go to the memorial services, and have the necessary time to grieve with his family.
"When I went home after it happened, just being with them, being with my family was what was needed," Murray said. "They’ve always been there for me no matter what, through thick and thin and always will continue to be. And my family is the strongest part of my life for sure."
Murray’s parents Darryl and Jeanett, and younger sister Madison formed Murray’s support team, as they always have.
"When the tragedy occurred he contacted me and my wife that night, we spoke many times that evening and obviously he was extremely shook up with the loss of some close buddies that he’s played with and worked out with over the years," Darryl Murray recalled.
"He really thought that he needed to come home to be with family and be with some people to try and ... and be around others that would be grieving at the same time."
Upon his return to campus, Murray found support from his teammates, with whom he opened up about what he was going through. He turned to his Catholic faith to help him move forward.
When the school year ended, Murray returned home. He thought about a way to memorialize not just the friends he lost, but everyone whose lives changed that night on the Broncos bus. He’d had Jesse Acciacca of Jesse’s Custom Design in Wilmington, Mass., paint his mask the year prior.
Murray tasked Acciacca with making sure all the Humboldt victims would be with him for the 2018-19 season.
The Mask
UMass Athletics
Murray had one direction for Acciacca.
"I gave him all the artistic freedom in the world. I said, 'Do whatever you have to do, just make sure these names are on there,'" Murray recalled.
Acciacca had plenty of experience incorporating names into masks. In 2017, he integrated 470 names into then-St. Louis Blues netminder Carter Hutton's Hockey Fights Cancer mask. So Acciacca knew just how to approach Murray’s request.
"I didn’t want to just limit it to one little area of the mask because I’ve seen a few other painters, other goalies ... so I kind of represented it throughout the mask and without overpowering the design," Acciacca said. "I used pearlescent paint, and when you hit the right light you can see it. So it didn’t overpower it too much but it was there."
The back plate, where it has always said "Family First" on Murray’s masks, also became home to the names of the aforementioned five victims. Those names are done in regular paint and can’t be missed when you watch Murray from behind.
After Acciacca received his orders, he sent Murray a rendering. Even though he had an idea of what it was going to look like, Murray was still overwhelmed when he opened the box over the summer.
"Honestly, I just didn’t know what to say," Murray said. "It was a lot of emotion. Ecstatic with the beauty and then just like a lot of it really hit me too at the same time. And it was very humbling and it was a whirlwind of emotions at that point."
Murray wasn’t the only one overcome when the mask arrived.
"It broke me down to tears when I first saw it," Darryl said.
It was one thing to have the mask made and wear it. It took something else to attract more attention to it - and Murray's historic start has done just that.
Sophomore sensation
Thom Kendall
As a freshman with UMass last season, Murray set the single-season school record for shutouts with four and was named the Hockey East Player of the Week once and the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on another occasion.
The UMass coaching staff made a commitment to challenge its goalies to get out of their comfort zones this season. In Murray’s case, that meant not always trying to use perfect technique to stop the puck.
"We challenged him at the beginning of the year to battle and to compete and challenge shooters to help out with his rebound control and everything like that, and it’s really coming in strides," said UMass assistant coach Jared DeMichiel, who played goal at Rochester Institute of Technology.
"He’s fighting to see pucks and then when there’s rebounds he’s fighting more from there. And it’s not like he’s out of sorts, like he still has good control from his game. ... He’s made some unorthodox saves that we need him to make but he’s also made those routine saves as well too."
Maturity and experience have allowed Murray to be more aggressive.
"It comes with being more comfortable and knowing to what to expect in the league versus last year as a freshman," Murray said of his play to date. "And I think knowing what to expect and knowing what’s coming has allowed me to elevate my game and to push the limits a little bit more."
Whatever Murray has done is working better than anyone could have imagined. He enters the winter break with an 11-0-0 record to go along with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. UMass is 14-2-0 (7-0-0 in the Hockey East Conference) and is ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Knowing what Murray’s gone through and seeing him wearing the mask with all the names, DeMichiel is convinced there are people looking down on the goalie and maybe "pushing him a little more."
Murray agrees. Although he tries to avoid getting emotional when he pulls that mask down over his head on game night, there’s always inspiration in front of him when he picks it up to put it on.
Murray hasn't been drafted, but this season he’s played his way into the conversation among scouts and management types as a professional goaltender prospect. That’s been his dream "since I think I could dream," he said without hesitation.
St. Albert has produced many greats, including Mark Messier and Jarome Iginla, and if Murray can take advantage of a pro opportunity the way he’s thrived in junior and college hockey, he could very well join their ranks.
And as he pursues his ultimate dream, Murray will always have the victims of the Humboldt accident in his heart - and almost certainly on his mask.
Stastny was Vegas' big-ticket signing in free agency - inking a three-year, $19.5-million contract on July 1 - but missed the last 30 contests with a lower-body injury suffered during the third game of the season.
The 32-year-old tallied 53 points last season split between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets and added 15 more in 17 playoff games before the Jets fell to Vegas in the Western Conference Final.
Stastny was expected to slot in behind William Karlsson as the Golden Knights' second-line center in hopes of providing some secondary offense. Instead, Cody Eakin's filled the role to date, which is partially due to Erik Haula's own prolonged injury absence.
The Golden Knights currently hold the second wild-card spot in the West with 37 points.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green will be out three-to-five weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Jeff Blashill said Friday.
Filip Hronek has been called up from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins to replace Green on Detroit's back end.
Green logged 15 minutes of ice time in the Red Wings' 6-2 loss against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. He missed the first nine games of the season with a virus.
Hronek, considered one of the Wings' top prospects, has 18 points in 20 games for the Griffins. The 21-year-old blue-liner made six appearances for Detroit earlier this season.
The Red Wings take on the Ottawa Senators at home Friday night.
Women are making their mark in the male-dominated world of professional sports like never before.
Here are five leading the charge.
Hayley Wickenheiser
The decorated Canadian Olympian who made her name on the ice wearing red and white now wears blue and white, after she was named assistant director of player development by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer.
What brought Wickenheiser to Kyle Dubas' staff wasn't his desire to hire a woman, but to simply hire the best candidate for the job. And that was Wickenheiser.
The 40-year-old is one of the first women to be hired in her position in the NHL.
Becky Hammon
Mark Sobhani / National Basketball Association / Getty
Hammon made history in 2014 when she was named assistant coach of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first full-time female assistant in the big four professional sports leagues.
The 41-year-old starred in the WNBA, being named an All-Star six times and one of the league's top 15 players of all time.
It won't be long before she's coaching her own NBA team.
Serena Williams
Chris Trotman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
There's Serena, and there's everyone else.
Her stupendous resume speaks for her:
23 grand slam titles
801-136 career record (85.49%)
72 WTA titles
Olympic gold medalist
Over $88 million in career earnings
Tennis has never seen anyone like Serena before, and likely never will again. She's the greatest of all time.
Ronda Rousey
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Before Ronda Rousey made history in the Octagon, she made it on the mat as the first American woman to medal in Judo at the Olympics, winning bronze in 2008.
But it's in MMA where Rousey truly made her mark, dominating the sport for over two years, and making history along the way as the UFC's first female champion. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in August.
Michelle Wie
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It feels like Michelle Wie's been around forever and that's because - at only 29 - she has.
Wie's been in the spotlight most of her life, becoming at the time the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event when she was only 12. She turned pro in 2005 at 15, was a millionaire by 16, and won her first major - the U.S. Open - in 2014 at 24.
Wie's now a veteran on tour, and somehow still shy of her 30s, and her impact on golf cannot be denied.
Women are making their mark in the male-dominated world of professional sports like never before.
Here are five leading the charge.
Hayley Wickenheiser
The decorated Canadian Olympian who made her name on the ice wearing red and white now wears blue and white, after she was named assistant director of player development by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer.
What brought Wickenheiser to Kyle Dubas' staff wasn't his desire to hire a woman, but to simply hire the best candidate for the job. And that was Wickenheiser.
The 40-year-old is one of the first women to be hired in her position in the NHL.
Becky Hammon
Mark Sobhani / National Basketball Association / Getty
Hammon made history in 2014 when she was named assistant coach of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first full-time female assistant in the big four professional sports leagues.
The 41-year-old starred in the WNBA, being named an All-Star six times and one of the league's top 15 players of all time.
It won't be long before she's coaching her own NBA team.
Serena Williams
Chris Trotman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
There's Serena, and there's everyone else.
Her stupendous resume speaks for her:
23 grand slam titles
801-136 career record (85.49%)
72 WTA titles
Olympic gold medalist
Over $88 million in career earnings
Tennis has never seen anyone like Serena before, and likely never will again. She's the greatest of all time.
Ronda Rousey
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Before Ronda Rousey made history in the Octagon, she made it on the mat as the first American woman to medal in Judo at the Olympics, winning bronze in 2008.
But it's in MMA where Rousey truly made her mark, dominating the sport for over two years, and making history along the way as the UFC's first female champion. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in August.
Michelle Wie
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It feels like Michelle Wie's been around forever and that's because - at only 29 - she has.
Wie's been in the spotlight most of her life, becoming at the time the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event when she was only 12. She turned pro in 2005 at 15, was a millionaire by 16, and won her first major - the U.S. Open - in 2014 at 24.
Wie's now a veteran on tour, and somehow still shy of her 30s, and her impact on golf cannot be denied.
This week, John is joined by the Hockey PDOcast's Dimitri Filipovic for the second episode of a two-part series focused on the main storylines from each conference. The episode above covers the Eastern Conference, while Filipovic's podcast (below) takes care of the Western Conference.
East topics include:
The Sabres, of all teams, are the best story in hockey
