In a few hours, each NHL team will have to submit their protection lists for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. There are bound to be a few surprises. As news trickles in about who will be left exposed and which players will be protected, names are already starting to be announced and garnering attention. One of the first shockers of the day comes out of Columbus.
As per a report by Darren Dreger of TSN: “Teams are putting the finishing touches on their protected lists. Hearing CBJ are planning on leaving Max Domi unprotected. I would be surprised if Seattle doesn’t claim him.”
There are so many different angles from which to look at this news. Some will say that the Blue Jackets are looking to rid themselves of a problem player that simply didn’t work out after being acquired in a trade for forward Josh Anderson. If the team can move his money and start over, why not? Others will look at this as a massive loss for Columbus.
On two fronts, this isn’t a great look for Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalaninen. First, he gave up Anderson to the Montreal Canadiens and Anderson had a great year. This has turned into a clear trade loss for the Blue Jackets. Now, if Domi gets taken, they’ll be little left to show for that trade. Second, this is a good player who could bounce back and the Kraken are likely looking for offense in this year’s draft. One would think the Blue Jackets could have moved Domi in a deal for something.
Domi has one more year remaining at $5.3 million. While that might be high for what he produced this past season, (24 points in 54 games), he’s a player who has had a 72-point season back in 2018-19. Don’t be surprised to see him score 50-60 points if he’s Seattle’s top-line center.
Will Seattle Take Domi?
It’s a not a given that Domi gets selected by the Kraken. Domi underwent shoulder surgery last month to repair a torn labrum. The recovery window is five to six months which means he will miss at least the first month of next season and potentially more. His drop in production, his price tag, plus the fact he’ll miss significant time may be enough to scare Seattle off.
Next: Islanders Trade Nick Leddy to the Detroit Red Wings for Panik, Pick
Brian L
July 17, 2021 at 9:37 am
Lol I wouldn’t say Anderson had a Great year he had 24 points the same as Domi.
If anything I would say after a hot start Anderson was disappointing and has a higher cap hit than Domi
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