Seattle Kraken: Spokane Chiefs alumni who could come back to the Pacific Northwest
Michelle Tully
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Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken.
Today is part three of our series looking at players with ties to the Pacific Northwest who could come “home” in the Seattle Kraken 2021 Expansion Draft. Today we turn our attention to the Spokane Chiefs.
No one knows yet who NHL teams will or will not expose to the Seattle Kraken in next year’s expansion draft. After the Stanley Cup Playoffs, free agency, arbitration, and the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, all of which will wrap up by November, will make the picture much clearer. Of course, those dates may still change due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s a good rule of thumb at this point.
Draft Rules
Here is a brief recap of the rules in place when the Seattle Kraken make their selections in the Expansion Draft some time in early-to-mid-summer of 2021.
- All teams except Vegas, who are exempt, have two options for protecting players.
- Option 1: Protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie.
- Option 2: Protect eight skaters, in any combination of forwards or defensemen, and one goalie.
- At least one defenseman, two forwards (who played at least 40 games in the prior year or 70 games in the two previous years), and one goalie that are under contract (goalies can be restricted free agents as well).
- First and second-year players, in addition to unsigned draft choices, are exempt. Many young players are ineligible because they have not had enough games in the NHL in the last two years.
Spokane can boast of many alumni who made it to the NHL over the years. Unfortunately for the Seattle Kraken, there isn’t much of a chance that either Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon, Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan, or Edmonton prospect Kailer Yamamoto will be available to them. Neither Anderson-Dolan nor Yamamoto have played in enough NHL games to be eligible, but that could change for Yamamoto next season.
There are several former chiefs that could be available to the Seattle Kraken next summer, either in the expansion draft or as unrestricted free agents.