On the Forecheck · Jun 15, 2017
The 8th Man Protected: Jarnkrok or Neal?
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesIt would never be an easy decision.
With the ability to protect eight skaters from the Vegas Golden Knights in the upcoming expansion draft, seven of those names are no-brainers: Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson. One simply does not break up the best defensive core in hockey nor one of the top-5 first lines in the league.
However, that leaves only one player left who could be protected. While there are options such as Colin Wilson and Craig Smith, it is likely that neither is selected by Vegas unless some trade deal is in the works.