Among the notable names of CBJ players available are forwards Max Domi and Kevin Stenlund as well as defensemen Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington. Also available to Seattle are forwards Zac Dalpe, Nathan Gerbe, Mikhail Grigorenko, Ryan MacInnis, Stefan Matteau, Cliff Pu, Kole Sherwood, Calvin Thurkauf and Daniel Zaar; defensemen Gavin Bayreuther, Gabriel Carlsson, Adam Clendening and Michael Del Zotto; and goaltender Cam Johnson.
Per expansion draft rules, the Kraken must choose one and only one of those players in Wednesday's evening's draft. Such names as young forwards Alexandre Texier, Emil Bemstrom and Liam Foudy as well as goalie Elvis Merzlikins are exempt and cannot be picked.
The availability of Domi is likely the biggest news to come from the announcement, as the former first-round pick was a key addition last summer when he was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for Josh Anderson. Domi struggled offensively to start the season before a strong finish, concluding his first season with the Blue Jackets with nine goals and 24 points in 54 games. In 429 career NHL games, Domi has a 90-185-275 line including a career-high 72-point season with the Habs in 2018-19.
Furthermore, Domi -- who has one year left on the two-year deal he signed last summer with Columbus before potentially becoming an unrestricted free agent --
will miss the start of the upcoming season
after shoulder surgery, the team announced in June.
Stenlund, meanwhile, will be 25 when the 2021-22 season starts, as the 2015 second-round pick of the Blue Jackets has found himself on the cusp of becoming an NHL regular the past three seasons. The 6-4 center with an excellent shot has played 68 games the past three seasons, totaling 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points including a 5-5-10 line in 32 games in 2021.
Kukan just turned 28 this month and also has earned the most playing time of his NHL career the past three seasons, including 35 games this past campaign when he had a goal and four assists. In 112 NHL games, the puck-moving defenseman has two goals, 19 points and is plus-5. Harrington has spent the past five seasons with Columbus, totaling 178 games and posting a 7-29-36 line and plus-3 rating; the 28-year-old defenseman played in 12 games with a goal and three points this past season.
Among the rest of the list, such names as Dalpe, Grigorenko, Matteau, MacInnis and Del Zotto are unrestricted free agents heading into the summer, so Seattle would simply be drafting the rights to those players before they hit the market. Notably, Grigorenko already has signed a contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, while Thurkauf and Zaar played last season overseas.
While most of the players protected by Columbus are established veterans, the inclusion of Eric Robinson on the protected list shows just how impressive his past season was to team brass. The undrafted free agent out of Princeton signed with Columbus in 2018 and has worked his way into becoming an NHL regular, playing every game of this past season and totaling career highs of eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points.
Known for his speed and size, the 26-year-old from New Jersey earned top-six minutes as last season went on and also posted some of the best possession analytics of any CBJ forward.
Seattle will select one player from each team (excluding Vegas) for a total of 30 players and must draft at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. Of the 30 players the Kraken select, 20 must be under contract for the 2021-22 season.
While there was a number of trades yesterday before a roster freeze that will run through Thursday afternoon, the expansion draft Wednesday evening will kick off a hectic week in NHL circles. The amateur draft will start with Friday's first round before concluding Saturday -- Columbus holds three first-round picks, starting with No. 5 overall -- with free agency then beginning July 28.
