On Saturday, July 17, every NHL team (except the Vegas Golden Knights) will submit a small list of players who can’t be selected in the expansion draft. The Seattle Kraken will then choose a roster of players who were left off those lists to form the majority of their lineup for their inaugural season in 2021-22.
The existing teams can choose to protect seven forwards, three defencemen, and one goaltender. There’s also an option to protect eight skaters if a team prefers to hold more than seven forwards or three defencemen, though that’s two fewer protected skaters, and therefore a rare option.