Updated: NHL gives further clarification on expansion draft rules

NHL Vegas (CBC)

Chris Johnston reported yesterday for Sportsnet updates regarding the potential upcoming expansion draft.

Here are the key bullet points from his article:

• A minimum of two forwards and one defenceman must be exposed who have played 40 games the previous season, or a total of 70 over the previous two.
  
• There is also a requirement that the 40/70 players are under contract for the first expansion season.
• If a team is not in compliance for the draft, the penalty could result in a loss of picks/players
• Each team will be allowed to protect seven forwards, three defencemen and one goalie – a breakdown that has remained constant since Daly first outlined the potential draft process to reporters in March.
• Players holding no-movement clauses – including those modified by limited no-trades, such as Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury – count against the protection limit, provided that those contracts and clauses extend through the 2017-18 season.
• Players with no-movement clauses on deals that expire June 30, 2017 like Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman or Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek wouldn’t have to be protected for a draft that is likely to be held a week or two beforehand.
• Teams will also be permitted to ask players to waive their no-movement clauses for inclusion in the expansion draft.
• Any player traded away during that period can’t be reacquired until after Jan. 1 the following season.
• Players with two years of professional experience or less will be exempt from the process. Determining who that covers is based on the definition included in the collective bargaining agreement – meaning that 10 games played in the NHL at age 18 or 19 counts as a season, as does any American Hockey League or NHL season for players older than that.

 
Update 2:51PM