New York Islanders Top Five Players Likely Traded Before Expansion

Calvin de Haan

There’s still ample debate over whether or not Travis Hamonic is protected from expansion by the New York Islanders or not. For Calvin de Haan there’s no question; he isn’t going to be protected. Which means he’s likely candidate number one to head for the desert.

He’s a great pick for Vegas. He proved himself a good second pairing defenseman this season, playing alongside veteran Dennis Seidenberg.

He put up a career-high 25 points and ranks second amongst Islanders defensemen with time on ice with 1627 minutes last season, averaging just under 20 minutes per game.

He’s young at 26-years-old and still has a year of team control as a restricted free agent. That last RFA is this season with de Haan’s last deal expiring at the end of this season.

Must Read: Predicting Calvin de Haan's Next Deal

Losing him for nothing isn’t an option. There are too many teams looking for solid top four defensemen in the league to not cash in.

Obviously, it’s easier said than done. Just because are looking for one doesn’t mean they’ll budge before the expansion draft and spend one of their spots to protect him.

But a team like Colorado certainly has the room to add a defenceman like de Haan their protected list.