New York Islanders Early Seattle Expansion Protection List

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 21: J.F. Berube is selected by the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Today the NHL agreed to expand to Seattle. With that expansion and the impending expansion draft who will the New York Islanders protect on their roster this time around?

Seattle will become the NHL’s 32nd NHL team. With expansion comes an expansion draft (set for June 2021). During the Vegas expansion, the New York Islanders gave up a first round pick, a second-round pick in 2019, Mikhail Grabovski and prospect Jake Bishoff for Vegas to look the other way on some nice exposed players.

The Golden Knights would eventually take third-string goalie Jean-Francois Berube.

We still aren’t sure what the rule of the expansion draft might be for Seattle but it’s safe to assume they’ll be the same as the Vegas draft.

Vegas did make the Stanley Cup finals in year one and are currently just outside of a playoff position in year two. Seattle might not have any issues with those rules.

As a refresher here were the protection rules for all other NHL teams and what will likely occur this time around (Note: Vegas will not be subject to the expansion draft).

a) Teams can protect seven forwards, three defensemen, one goalie
b) eight skaters (forwards or defensemen) and one goalie
Players with no trade clauses count towards protection
First and second-year professionals won’t count towards protection limits

With that in mind, who do the New York Islanders protects assuming the Seattle franchise picks from the players that the Islanders currently have on their roster, even though the draft wont happen until June 2021.