Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom Ruled Not Exempt from NHL Expansion Draft

Some may say this is not a surprise, but Edmonton Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom is NOT exempt from the upcoming NHL expansion draft. There was talk his injury situation and not playing at all this past season might lead to the Oilers not being forced to protect him. That said, Klefbom’s name was not on a list of 18 players the NHL released on Monday that wouldn’t be available to the Seattle Kraken.

The league has identified 18 players that are exempt from the Expansion Draft due to Injury

All 18 players are displayed below

Keep in mind pending UFAs who've already announced retirement are included as their contracts don't expire until Free Agencyhttps://t.co/DP5mKUfZ26 pic.twitter.com/wAx63gC1hs

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This is probably something the Oilers already knew. Ken Holland had made prior comments that, unless Klefbom was ruled out for the entire 2021-22 season, he’d require protection. Still, for Oilers fans hoping Edmonton would catch a break here, this is not good news. Now, Holland will have to gamble on whether or not the Kraken see Klefbom as a selection risk because of his health. If the Oilers don’t think Seattle will risk it, they can leave Klefbom unprotected. If Seattle feels like it’s worth a shot because of a healthy Klefbom upside, the Oilers could lose him.

The feeling seems to be that the Oilers, will, in fact, not protect Klefbom. Doing so would mean potentially losing Caleb Jones. If the Oilers didn’t protect Klefbom, it was likely Edmonton would save Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, and Jones (under the 7-3-1 rule). Players like Adam Larsson, Tyson Barrie, Dmitry Kulikov and Slater Koekkoek could all be signed after the draft if the Oilers and those respective players were interested in signing extensions.

A Blessing in Disguise for the Oilers?

There is potentially good news here. One, that Klefbom is not on the list means that the NHL has not been told he’s medically unfit to play with certainty. This is good news for Oilers fans as Klefbom may be back next season, even if it’s too soon to confirm that. Second, if Seattle really isn’t sure Klefbom is good to go, logic suggests not potentially throwing away a selection.

We’ve seen this past season how players with “season-ending” injuries come back just in time to make a huge difference for their respective teams. Maybe Klefbom is a ways away, but he might be the kind of player the Oilers could get back just in time for the postseason.

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