The NHL has released a memo to all 30 teams outlining which 66 veteran NHLers are currently exempt from the expansion process -- meaning they have to be protected -- because of their no-movement clauses.
And Sportsnet has the memo.
Per Chris Johnston, the list was finalized late Tuesday evening after the league reviewed “the parameters of each individual contract” with the NHL Players’ Association.
The league was unable to institute a “blanket rule” to all NMCs, because those clauses are entirely negotiable and can be worded in whatever way the club or player -- or, agent -- sees fit.
You can read about some of the more surprising developments (Rick Nash has to be protected, Bobby Ryan doesn’t) here.
As for the list of players, here you go. Chicago leads the way with eight veterans requiring protection while Calgary, San Jose, St. Louis and Washington don’t have any.
Anaheim: Kevin Bieksa, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry
Arizona: Alex Goligoski
Boston: David Backes, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci
Buffalo: Kyle Okposo
Carolina: Jordan Staal
Columbus: Sergei Bobrovsky, David Clarkson, Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell
Chicago: Artem Anisimov, Corey Crawford, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews
Colorado: Francois Beauchemin, Erik Johnson
Dallas: Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza
Detroit: Frans Nielsen
Edmonton: Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera, Cam Talbot
Florida: Keith Yandle
Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar
Minnesota: Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Ryan Suter
Montreal: Jeff Petry, Carey Price
Nashville: Pekka Rinne
New Jersey: Ryane Clowe
N.Y. Islanders: Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ladd, John Tavares
N.Y. Rangers: Dan Girardi, Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash, Marc Staal
Ottawa: Dion Phaneuf
Philadelphia: Claude Giroux
Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin
Tampa Bay: Ryan Callahan, Valtteri Filppula, Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos
Toronto: Nathan Horton
Vancouver: Loui Eriksson, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin
Winnipeg: Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom
As established earlier this year, teams have two options for players they wish to protect in the Expansion Draft:
a) Seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender
b) Eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender
Also, all first- and second-year professionals, as well as all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward their club’s applicable protection limits).