Shane Doan Coyotes 2

Welcome to the NHL Expansion Draft Buzz. On Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights will reveal the players they have chosen from the other 30 NHL teams in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft presented by T-Mobile (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN).
NOTE: The expansion draft trade/waiver freeze for all NHL teams (excluding the Golden Knights) began Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
Here's a look around the League at the latest doings as the expansion draft approaches:

#

4:55 p.m.Capitals could lose backup goalie Philipp Grubauer to Golden Knights

Like the other 29 preexisting NHL teams, the Washington Capitals are anxious to see which player they will lose when the Vegas Golden Knights announce their 30 selections during the 2017 NHL Awards and NHL Expansion Draft presented by T-Mobile in Las Vegas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN).
RELATED: Expansion mock drafts: [Dan Rosen | Tom Gulitti | Pete Jensen ]
It appears likely the Capitals will lose either defenseman Nate Schmidt or goaltender Philipp Grubauer to Vegas. If Grubauer is selected, that would leave Pheonix Copley, 25, who has two games of NHL experience, as second on the Capitals goaltending depth chart behind Braden Holtby.
Assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said Monday that goaltender Ilya Samsonov, the Capitals' first-round pick (No. 22) in the 2015 NHL Draft who has been playing in Russia with Magnitogorsk Metallurg, will probably wait another season before coming to North America. That means that the Capitals would either have to sign or trade for another goaltender to back up Holtby or give the job to Copley.
"I think [Copley] definitely has the upside here to be able to take a shot at filling that role if Philipp does leave and moves on," Mahoney said. "We think we've got some quality goalies coming through the system right now, but we have to see what happens here with the expansion draft."
Having spent 17 years working with Vegas GM George McPhee when McPhee was Capitals GM, Mahoney knows him well, but said trying to predict what he'll do is difficult.
"You never know," Mahoney said. "I'm sure he has his plan and things may depend now on who was exposed by certain teams in the expansion draft and how that could change the dynamics of what he thought. It only takes one or two players, maybe, that they thought weren't going to be exposed that are that could change what they do with all the teams as far as them picking up the players."

3:45 p.m.
Coyotes part with Shane Doan

Forward Shane Doan will not be offered a new contract with the Arizona Coyotes for next season.
The Coyotes did not protect their longtime captain from the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. He will become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
"After serious consideration, we have decided to not offer Shane Doan a contract for the upcoming season," Coyotes owner, chairman and governor Andrew Barroway said Monday. "The time has come for us to move on and to focus on our young, talented group of players and our very bright future. This was a very difficult decision given what Shane has done for the Coyotes and his unparalleled importance to the organization. With that said, this is necessary to move us forward as a franchise."
Doan's agent, Terry Bross, said that the veteran forward wants to continue his NHL career with another team.
"Shane is ready to enter the free-agent market and see where it goes," Bross told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "Time for him to get a shot at the [Stanley] Cup."
Doan has spent each of his 21 NHL seasons with the Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He has been Coyotes captain since 2003-04 and has 972 points (402 goals, 570 assists) in 1,540 career NHL games.

2:04 p.m.
Golden Knights set own deadline

The Vegas Golden Knights
will make their picks
for the NHL Expansion Draft one day earlier than the deadline, according to general manager George McPhee.
The expansion draft protected list was revealed Sunday and the Golden Knights have until 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday to submit their selections. Vegas must choose 30 players, one from each team, and take a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies from the unprotected lists.
McPhee said the Golden Knights are still engaging in conversations with teams hoping to protect some of their exposed players, but the roster will be finalized well in advance.
"The last 24 hours have been similar to the last 3 or 4 days in that we are having discussions with clubs about what they want to do and how they can protect their rosters if they want to do that," McPhee said. "And what we've told everyone today is that today will be the last day that we are going to have those discussions. That we are going to pick our team [Tuesday]."