Expansion Draft Preview: Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes had a very easy time at the 2017 Expansion Draft.

A good chunk of their roster was on entry-level deals so they could protect just about every veteran they wanted to. Arizona ended up losing Teemu Pulkinen, a forward who had only played four games for the team and never once played for the Golden Knights.

The 2021 Expansion Draft will again be an easy one for the Coyotes to navigate as they have six players set to hit unrestricted free agency. Their only challenge will be deciding between the goaltender of the present and the goaltender of the future.

Eligible Forwards

@Clayton Keller, @Phil Kessel (NMC), @Nick Schmaltz, @Christian Dvorak, @Tyler Pitlick, @Lawson Crouse, @Johan Larsson, @Derick Brassard, @Christian Fischer, @@Brayden Burke, @Conor Garland, @Tyler Steenbergen, @John Hayden, @Dryden Hunt, @Michael Bunting

Eligible Defencemen

@Oliver Ekman-Larsson, @Alex Goligoski, @Niklas Hjalmarsson, @Jakob Chychrun, @Jason Demers, @Jordan Oesterle, @Ilya Lyubushkin, @Kyle Capobianco, @Jordan Gross, @Cam Dineen, @Dysin Mayo

Eligible Goaltenders

@Darcy Kuemper, @Antti Raanta, @Adin Hill

Exempt Players

@Barrett Hayton, @Matias Maccelli, @Nate Sucese, @Ryan McGregor, @Jan Jenik, @Ban McCartney, @Victor Soderstrom, @Ty Emberson

What should they do?

Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman Larsson both have no-movement clauses, so that’s two players the Coyotes will be protecting no matter what.

Otherwise, on defence, there isn’t much for the Coyotes to protect. Veteran defencemen Nik Hjalmarsson, Alex Goligoski, and Jason Demers are hitting free agency, leaving Arizona with two more spots. Jakob Chychrun is an obvious one but the other spot is up in the air. They could protect a depth roster player in Ilya Lyubushkin or a middling prospect in Kyle Capobianco.

On forward, Kessel, Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse, and Conor Garland will surely be six of Arizona’s choices, leaving one spot for a depth forward like Tyler Pitlick, Johan Larsson, or Christian Fischer.

Regardless, it seems as though Seattle’s choice could wind up being a goaltender. Arizona will either protect veteran Darcy Kuemper or 25-year-old Adin Hill, who appears to be their goaltender of the future. Kuemper is just one year from free agency, so protecting Hill would be a sensible move for the Coyotes.