The clock is ticking for NHL teams who have only until July 17 to submit their protected lists to the NHL ahead of the Seattle expansion draft.
The rules state that teams are allowed to protect either seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or eight skaters and one goaltender. Players who have accrued two or fewer professional seasons (as defined in the CBA) are also exempt. All other players are left exposed to Seattle, who will choose one from each NHL team (Vegas excluded) to claim for free.
For some teams set to lose a replaceable depth player, this is little more than a minor inconvenience.