Edmonton Oilers protect Zack Kassian, expose Oscar Klefbom in Seattle expansion draft
The Edmonton Oilers’ expansion draft protection list has a few interesting names.
Most notably, the team has protected bottom-six forwards in Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald while exposing the likes of Oscar Klefbom. While the Oilers are unlikely to lose Kassian or Archibald, it gives Seattle a chance to take a young forward prospect like Tyler Benson, who has scored 141 points in 156 games.
The players the Oilers protected:
Josh Archibald (F)
Leon Draisaitl (F)
Zack Kassian (F)
Connor McDavid (F)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (F)
Jesse Puljujarvi (F)
Kailer Yamamoto (F)
Ethan Bear (D)
Duncan Keith (D)
Darnell Nurse (D)
Stuart Skinner (G)
Klefbom, meanwhile, is an interesting case. All signs are currently pointing towards him missing the 2021-22 season due to shoulder surgery, but would Seattle consider taking a chance on him? He’s known for his solid two-way defensive game and would be LTIR eligible.
Seattle has other interesting veterans available to choose from in Edmonton including Alex Chiasson, Tyler Ennis, Jujhar Khaira, James Neal, William Lagesson and Kris Russell.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.