So, as previously promised, I conducted a mock expansion draft, with the first of my hockey gurus, Hobbs, representing the Seattle Sea Dogs (I know Seattle didn't make an official application, but he wanted to be Seattle) and me representing the Las Vegas Aces.

First thing was to set out some rules for who could be protected, who was automatically exempt, Etc.
I borrowed most of these rules from the 2000 expansion draft. So here are the rules:

•   Each Team May Protect:

o   1 goalie, five Defense, 9 forwards

o   Or

o   2 goalies, Three Defense, 7 Forwards

•          Each team must leave unprotected 1 Defense with 40 NHL games last year or 70 last two years.
•          Each team must leave unprotected 2 Forwards with 40 NHL games last year or 70 last two years.
•          If protecting two goalies, teams must leave unprotected a goalie with 10 NHL games last year or 25 last two years
•          Each team loses exactly two players.
•          Any skater with less than 150 games NA pro (NHL, AHL, ECHL) are exempt from being selected. 
•          Any Goalie with less than 65 Games NA Pro (NHL,AHL,ECHL) experience are exempt.
•          A team can only lose 1 goalie
•          Any player with a NTC or NMC must be protected
•        Any unsigned draft pick is automatically exempt from being picked. 

        So, There are our rules for how to protect and select players. 

        Next, I went through all players under contract for each team, and made their lists for who had to be protected due to a NTC or NMC, who was exempt from being selected, and what players each team would have to choose between.  

       

      Several teams were forced into exposing players I assume they would not want to lose. 

      One such team was the Tampa Bay Lightning. Each team must protect any player with a NTC or NMC. Tampa Bay has five such defenseman: Matt Carle, Jason Garrison, Braydon Coburn, Anton Stralman, and Mattias Ohlund. These five players must be protected. This means Tampa Bay cannot protect any more defenseman, forcing them to leave Victor Hedman available to be picked. If this was a real expansion draft, Tampa Bay would simply have to trade one of the five protected defenseman, As it stands, Hedman is available for our expansion draft. 

      

      Carolina was another team that had some issues, Each team must leave unprotected one defenseman who played 40 NHL games last year, or 70 in the past two years. Carolina has four who fit these criteria. Ron Hainsey, John-Michael Liles, James Wisniewski, and Justin Faulk. Faulk, however, is the only one of the four without a NTC or NMC, forcing the hurricanes to expose their young All-Star defenseman. The hurricanes are also forced to protect Cam Ward, since he has an NTC, They do not have the option of protecting both Ward and Eddie Lack, since they do not have a third Goalie who played in 10 NHL games last year or 25 in the last two years. This forces the Hurricanes to expose both Faulk, and Lack. 

      So, without further ado, here's the lists with each teams available, exempt, and protected. If you have any questions, feel free to leave it in the comments. 

      https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1D9h57aYclGZm7ge4xkx1Kuc5akwaMP61wqHyldyV27I/edit?usp=sharing

       Coming up next: Our Draft