Seattle Kraken: Seattle Thunderbirds alumni who could come back to the Pacific Northwest
Michelle Tully
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Seattle Kraken.
Welcome to part five 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 look at former members of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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 they are solid at this point.
Draft Rules
Here is a brief recap of the rules in place when the Seattle Kraken selects in the Expansion Draft sometime in early-to-mid-summer of 2021.
- All teams except for the Vegas Golden Knights, 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.
Seattle Kraken General manager Ron Francis can still negotiate for some of these players the same way Vegas’ GM George McPhee did a couple of years ago. There will be plenty of trades before the expansion draft as well. The player can waive a “No-movement” clauses. That was the case with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who was selected by the Knights from the Penguins. There are rumors that the Seattle Kraken wants to do the same with Montreal netminder Carey Price. Otherwise, if the player does not waive his no-movement clause, he must be protected.