Who the Toronto Maple Leafs Protect In Expansion Draft

Apr 17, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak (42) is embraced by forward Auston Matthews (34) after scoring the overtime winner in a 4-3 win over Washington Capitals in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

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D to Protect:

This is probably the easiest decision the Maple Leafs have. If there was ever a time to be happy about a lack of depth on the back-end, this is it!

The Leafs will clearly protect Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner without even thinking about it. The next choice is also fairly obvious.

Connor Carrick is a very effective NHL defenseman and has way too much potential to lose for nothing. Not to mention that he’s right handed in a league where that is pretty rare for a defenseman.

Carrick is nearly as automatic as the other two.

Polak and Hunwick are UFAs and wouldn’t be protected anyways.

The Leafs will then have to expose Marchenko (no loss there if he gets picked) and Marincin, who, depending on what forwards are exposed, is likely to be selected.

A low event player who doesn’t score much and thus only gets noticed when he screws up, Marincin is a giant of a player and one of the league’s most underrated guys. It sucks to expose him, but there is no way around it.

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