On a date just before the regular 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the yet-to-be-named-32nd-NHL franchise from Seattle will carry out its very own NHL expansion draft and begin to take form, while one by one each NHL team will sacrifice a chosen player to help forge the brand new identity of the fledgling club. Leading up to this expansion draft, teams must decide which assets to protect or expose.
The smashing success of the inaugural season for the NHL’s most recent expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, shows this draft process is a lot more nurturing than what Vancouver fans had to endure back in 1970 when the league added both the Buffalo Sabres and the Canucks at once.