Detroit Red Wings: 2021 NHL Expansion Draft inching closer and closer
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings are continuing to work through the offseason as the summer ticks on, but now that the calendar has flipped over to July, the Red Wings summer will heat up. There’s a lot on the docket for the summer, and it starts with the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.
The Detroit Red Wings will be turning their attention to July 17th, when they have to submit their protected lists for the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. The Seattle Kraken are playing in their inaugural season in 2021-22, but they need a team first, and that draft takes place on July 21st.
That will be the first thing of the summer that really kicks up the Red Wings offseason. While they recently announced the hiring of Alex Tanguay with the hope that the former Colorado Avalanche forward can fix the team’s power-play and spark some offense.
As the Expansion Draft inches closer, more and more guesses about who the Red Wings will protect will circle around. In all reality, no one really knows until that list becomes available, but there are a few guesses that can be made.
The Detroit Red Wings will continue to gear up for the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft as it inches closer.
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There are a few players that come to mind when looking at the possibilities, but the Kraken will not be poaching anyone too crazy from the Red Wings.
Fans can be assured that the better players of the organization will be locked up and safe as the Expansion Draft rolls around.
One of the players who has been in a tough spot with the organization for some time now is Evgeni Svechnikov.
The former first-round pick of the Red Wings has never been able to really get it going at the NHL level and has constantly been shipped back and forth between the NHL and the minors.
If the Kraken wants to buy into the “change of scenery” being his savior, then the Kraken stepping in and selecting Svechnikov might not be the worst thing in the world.
But Svechnikov is not nearly the only one. Another forward who was just recently acquired, Richard Panik, could be out the door before he even really settled in.
It’s likely that Panik is exposed and left for the Kraken if General Manager (GM) Ron Francis so chooses. Defenseman-wise, a veteran like Danny DeKeyser could very well go unprotected in a time where he needs to straighten out his game in the final year of his contract.
On top of that, someone like Gustav Lindström could go unprotected as well. Another defender who there’s plenty to hope for in the 2021-22 season. They may not be key pieces of this organization, but as the Expansion Draft inches closer and closer, the Red Wings will have to finalize their protected list.
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Prepare for the imminent 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rumors onslaught to begin as the draft date gets closer.