The Expansion Draft protected and unprotected lists were revealed and a big week in the National Hockey League is ahead.
Detroit Red Wings Release Protected and Unprotected Lists
On Sunday morning, the Red Wings, along with the other 29 teams in the NHL, released their protected and unprotected lists for the Expansion Draft. The biggest surprise from the list was Petr Mrazek was left unprotected and Jimmy Howard was protected. This caused quite a stirring from fans and NHL reporters alike.
The complete list of which players are protected and unprotected can be found here.
Red Wings Assistant GM Talks Draft
Adam Kimelman, of NHL.com, talked to Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin about the upcoming NHL Draft.
"“Unless you’re picking a superstar that can transition right to the NHL that can help teams can win games … you’re not going to be able to rush things,” assistant general manager Martin said. “Just because you didn’t have a very good year doesn’t mean you can accelerate the development. That’s important. I don’t know that we’re going to stray from our development philosophy. Are we optimistic that perhaps we’ll have the opportunity to pick a higher-caliber player than normal because we’re picking at nine? Sure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’ll happen.”"
Doesn’t appear the Red Wings will change their draft strategy.
Dan Cleary Celebrates on a Scooter
The Grand Rapids Griffins held their celebration parade on Friday for their Calder Cup victory. Cleary, who is retiring, spent some time on a scooter during the parade.
Big Week Ahead
There’s plenty of news to come this week. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect this week. Stay tuned for the latest news.
- June 20-New Adidas jerseys revealed.
- June 21-Las Vegas Golden Knights submit their player selections.
- June 21-Home Openers Announced.
- June 22-Full 2017-18 season schedule released.
- June 23-24-NHL Entry-Level Draft
Next: Grand Rapids Griffins: Top 5 Goals From Calder Cup Finals