NHL Draft Week: What Sabres fans can expect over the next few days

NHL Draft week kicks off tonight, as does an eventful timeframe for the Buffalo Sabres. The team is navigating the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft this evening while preparing for the league draft only two days later, on Friday, July 23rd.

This timeframe also comes at a pivotal moment for the franchise. With the first overall pick, a franchise cornerstone in captain Jack Eichel surrounded by trade rumors, as well as important personnel decisions made on which player to protect and leave unprotected from selection by the Kraken- The Sabres front office has had their work cut out for them.

With that, here are some things fans can keep an eye out for during the NHL Draft week…

Trades

Jack Eichel, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft behind only Connor McDavid, has been the team’s primary cornerstone and building block until this offseason has presented a bit of an impasse. This has led to an uncertain future amidst reports that teams like the Wild and Rangers may be making offers for the center.

Though, if these reports are accurate, even if the team would consider trading the former high pick- He’s not alone. The team has been getting inquiries on Sam Reinhart since last year’s trade deadline, and it’s being reported that GM Kevyn Adams is looking to move Rasmus Ristolainen for a first-round pick and a prospect and the Jets and Canadiens have both expressed interest. With a collection of picks already in tow, the team could also package assets to move up, taking a quality over quantity approach in its selections.

Adams has looked to make proactive and aggressive moves to improve the team in the past year, don’t be surprised if that approach translates into trading up for more high-round picks in and impact players.

Turnover

The players protected going into the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft were forwards Rasmus Asplund, Anders Bjork, Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt, Victor Olofsson, Sam Reinhart, and Tage Thompson, defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Rasmus Ristolainen, and goalie Linus Ullmark. And the players left unprotected were forwards Jeff Skinner, Cody Eakin, Andrew Oglevie, Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons, and defensemen Colin Miller and Will Borgen.

The Kraken will get to select one player from each of the other NHL teams, except for the recent expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights. They will get to pick 30 players total, including at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goalies.

They have an exclusive window from July 18-21 to sign any potential free agents who’ve not been protected by their team and are allowed to offer eight-year max deals to any players before the opening of NHL free agency on July 28th. There is also a “trade freeze” active from July 17th to July 22nd that prohibits NHL teams from making trades with any team except the Kraken. So Seattle can also select players to then flip in trades with other teams immediately following the expansion draft.

NHL teams get to decide between two designations for their players as to who will be available- One option involves seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goaltender. The other includes eight skaters (forward, defensemen) as well as a goaltender.

The minimum exposure requirements and specs include:

• At least two forwards and one defenseman, who are under contract for the 2021-22 season and have played in 70 games over the last two seasons or at least 40 games in 2020-21
• One goalie who is under contract for 2021-22 or is a restricted free agent this summer and has not received a qualifying offer.
• Players with no-move clauses in their contracts have to agree to waive them to be eligible for exposure.
• If a potential free agent from a team is unprotected, the expansion franchise can sign them, and that will count as the teams’ pick (meaning they wouldn’t lose any other players.)
• Any first- or second-year players or unsigned draft picks are exempt from being exposed.
• Players who have “potential career-ending injuries” that have missed more than 60 consecutive games can’t be exposed without approval from the NHL.

Some of the more unlikely players that the Kraken would have taken are Skinner, Okposo, and Eakin. With a mix of veteran talent, and prospects both similarly made available by the league’s other 30 teams, it’s not out of the question that Oglevie, Girgensons, and Miller could avoid expansion selection entirely. In fact, reports surfaced today suggesting that the Kraken has taken Will Borgen.