Islanders: Getting Ready for 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft

Protected list: 8-1

Skaters: Mathew Barzal (F), Anthony Beauvillier (F), Brock Nelson (F), Anders Lee (F), Ryan Pulock (D), Adam Pelech (D), Devon Toews (D), Scott Mayfield (D)

Goalie: Semyon Varlamov

I struggled with what veterans forward to keep here. Brock Nelson is a complete player under Barry Trotz and plays a full 200-foot game now. Losing him for nothing would be ridiculous.

Anders Lee is the beating heart of the team and one of the best power-forwards in the league. I have a hard time leaving him off the protected list. Although it’s entirely possible that by the 2021 season Lee could be declining.

On the blueline, I’ve added Scott Mayfield to the protected list. The organization values him a lot. And with his ability to generate a bit of offense and play some big-body defense with a minuscule $1.45 million cap hit, it’s easy to see why.

This setup leaves veteran forward Josh Bailey, and Jordan Eberle exposed as well as defenseman Nick Leddy. Seattle, needing to hit the cap floor will certainly take one of these cap heavy vets to fill their lineup.

It would certainly help the Isles who will have a tight cap no sooner than this summer when Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews need to be re-signed to contracts. Moving either a $5 or $5.5 million cap hit could be helpful.

If you value Nick Leddy more, then Mayfield comes off and he gets picked.