Expansion draft concerns
With expansion clubs come expansion drafts. The last expansion draft ahead of the Seattle Kraken entering the league was particularly complex for the Leafs. The league allowed teams to protect 10 players, either seven forwards, three defencemen, and one netminder, or nine skaters and one goaltender.
The Leafs opted for the 7-3-1 structure. In fact, Kyle Dubas at the time traded for Jared McCann in order to expose him purposely in order to avoid risking any other unprotected player.
This time around, the Leafs have plenty of options that expansion teams could try to pluck. While we won’t get into the math of who the Leafs would protect this time around, it’s fair to say that the potential names on the protected list should be cause for debate.
Now, suppose there are multiple expansion drafts over the course of three or four years. Say, one every two years? What would that do to the Leafs roster construction and cap structure? Of course, that prospect would affect all 32 current teams, not just Toronto. But for the Leafs in particular, it could be a nightmare trying to figure out what to do with the roster as expansion drafts loom.
That model worked with Vegas. It sort of worked with Seattle. This time around, the league will ensure new potential teams get the best possible players available, regardless of where they come from. That means the Leafs stand to lose good players without getting anything in return.