How Does the NHL Expansion Draft Work?

Get all your questions answered about how the NHL expansion draft works, including how many players each team can protect and who is eligible for selection.

Checkout this video:

How the NHL expansion draft works

The NHL expansion draft is a process that allows new NHL teams to acquire players from existing teams. In an expansion draft, each existing team must make available a certain number of players to be drafted by the new team or teams. The new team or teams then select players from the list of available players.

The most recent NHL expansion draft was held in June 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights expansion team selected 30 players from a list of unprotected players provided by the other 30 NHL teams.

In order for an expansion draft to be held, two conditions must be met:
– There must be at least two new NHL teams ready to join the league; and
– The NHL Board of Governors must vote to approve the expansion draft.

If these conditions are met, then the details of the expansion draft are negotiated between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA). Once an agreement is reached, the details of the expansion draft are announced to the public.

The number of players that each team must make available in an expansion draft depends on a number of factors, including the number of new teams joining the league, and whether or not those teams are coming from another professional league (such as the World Hockey Association in 1979).

In most cases, each existing team must make one player available for every two new teams that are joining the league. For example, if two new teams are joining the NHL, then each existing team must make one player available for selection. If four new teams are joining the NHL, then each existing team must make two players available for selection, and so on.

Players who are protected from being selected in an expansion draft fall into one of two categories: – those who have been with their current team for a certain number of years (known as veteran players); and – those who have been with their current team for less time but have recently signed a long-term contract (known as entry-level or rookie players).

The number of veteran and entry-level/rookie players that each team can protect varies depending on how many new teams are joining the league. In most cases, each team can protect either seven veteran players or a combination of four veteranplayers and three entry-level/rookieplayers.
Additionally, first- and second-year professionalplayers are automatically exempt from being selected in an expansion draft and do not need to be protected by their team.

What is the NHL expansion draft?

The NHL expansion draft is a process that allows new teams to enter the league. In order to do so, the new team must select a certain number of players from the existing teams. This is done in order to create parity among the teams and to ensure that the new team is competitive.

Why is the NHL expansion draft important?

The NHL expansion draft is important because it allows new teams to stock their rosters with players from existing teams. This gives the new teams a chance to be competitive immediately, and it helps the league to grow. The expansion draft is also a way for existing teams to shed salary and get rid of players who are no longer needed.

What are the rules of the NHL expansion draft?

In order to stock their rosters, NHL expansion teams must participate in an expansion draft. In this draft, the new team must select one player from each of the existing teams. The existing teams are allowed to protect a certain number of players from being drafted.

The number of players that each team can protect varies depending on the circumstances of the expansion. For example, in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, each team was allowed to protect either seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender OR eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender.

Players who are classified as rookies (have played less than 25 games in the NHL) or who have two-way contracts (can be sent down to the minors without having to clear waivers) are exempt from being drafted.

After each team has made their pick, the existing teams are then allowed to pull back one player who was previously unprotected.

How does the NHL expansion draft impact free agency?

The NHL expansion draft is an annual event in which the league’s newest team, or teams, select players from existing teams in order to build their roster. The expansion draft is a key part of every team’s offseason planning, as it can have a significant impact on a team’s ability to retain its own free agents or sign new ones.

What is the difference between the NHL expansion draft and the NHL Entry Draft?

The NHL expansion draft is held every year prior to the start of the regular season to stock the rosters of the NHL’s newest teams. The most recent expansion draft was held in 2021, when the Seattle Kraken joined the league.

In an expansion draft, each existing NHL team protects a certain number of players from being drafted by the new team. The new team then chooses a certain number of players from the unprotected lists of all 30 NHL teams.

The NHL Entry Draft is held every year during the playoffs and is used to stock the rosters of all 31 NHL teams. In the entry draft, each team takes turns selecting amateur players from around the world.

How does the NHL expansion draft impact trades?

In order for the National Hockey League (NHL) to expand its number of teams, an expansion draft is held. In this process, the NHL allows the new team or teams to pick a number of players from the existing teams in the league. The way it works is that each team can protect either a certain number of players or all players that fall under certain criteria from being drafted. The unprotected players are then available for selection in what is called an “expansion draft.”

The NHL expansion draft usually happens before or during the NHL Entry Draft. It’s a process that allows the new team or teams to stock their rosters with players as they prepare to join the league. In order for an expansion draft to take place, the NHL Board of Governors must first approve the expansion proposal, and then potential new owners must submit a Expansion Application fee and deposit.

After an expansion team or teams have been approved by the NHL Board of Governors, each existing team in We’re breaking down how it all works so you know what to expect come June’s 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.

1) Who is eligible for selection in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft?
Players who will be left unprotected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft are either:
– Unrestricted free agents who have signed with their current club for 2021-22 prior to the submission of their club’s protected list; or
– Restricted free agents who have been given qualifying offers by their current club for 2021-22 and have not yet signed a new contract with their club; or
– Players with expiring contracts (i.e., unsigned drafted rookies).

What is the history of the NHL expansion draft?

The National Hockey League (NHL) expansion draft is an annual event in which the NHL selects unprotected players from among the various professional hockey leagues in North America. In most years, the draft is held in conjunction with the NHL Entry Draft, in which the NHL’s member teams select amateur players who have been enrolled in junior hockey leagues or European professional leagues.

The expansion draft allows newly admitted NHL teams (expansion teams) to acquire a core group of players as they prepare to enter the league. It also allows existing NHL teams to avoid losing players they would otherwise have to protect in the Entry Draft.

The most recent expansion draft was held on June 21, 2017, when the NHL’s 31st and 32nd teams, the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken, selected 30 unprotected players each from the other 30 NHL teams.

How do other professional sports leagues handle expansion drafts?

Other professional sports leagues handle expansion drafts in a variety of ways. For example, the NFL allows each existing team to protect a certain number of players, while the rest are made available for selection by the new team. The NBA works similarly, but with a twist: instead of allowing existing teams to protect a certain number of players, they allow them to submit a list of players they wish to protect, and the new team must choose its player pool from the remaining eligible players.

What are some potential problems with the NHL expansion draft?

There are a few potential problems with the NHL expansion draft:

1) It could create a competitive imbalance. If the new team is allowed to select players from all 30 teams, they could end up with a much better team than the other expansion team.
2) It could lead to players being overvalued. If teams know that they might lose a player in the expansion draft, they could be tempted to overvalue them in trades.
3) It could cause contract issues. If a player is signed to a long-term contract and then selected in the expansion draft, the new team might not want to keep them around for the whole contract.