Winnipeg Jets NHL Expansion Draft Plans - Part 6: Projected Protected List

The NHL expansion draft is rapidly approaching! This will be the means by which the Vegas Golden Knights acquire players for their inaugural NHL season in 2017-18. In preparation, I will be posting a series of posts to explore the rules of the draft, and how the Winnipeg Jets might approach it. The series will include:

1. Exploring the rules of the NHL expansion draft and how they apply to the Winnipeg Jets
2. 7/3/1 or 8/1 for the Winnipeg Jets?
3. The Defense: would Toby Enstrom waive his No-move clause?
4. The Forwards: will the Jets try to cash in on Mathieu Perreault’s peak value by trading him prior to the expansion draft?
5. Veteran goaltender: exploring the impact of acquiring one before the expansion draft
6. My projected Winnipeg Jets expansion draft protected list.

Just a quick post today as I am off camping! First of all, an update to the Jets eligibility list. With Marko Dano's contract extension a few days ago, he now fulfills the minimum experience requirements that I discussed in my first post. This would allow the Jets to protect all of Lowry, Perreault and Armia should they choose to employ a 7/3/1 protected list.

Having said that, I believe the Jets will go with a 8/1 protected list. This belief is based on the assumption that Tyler Myers will be considered fit physically, with no longterm medical issues. If the Jets' medical staff determine otherwise, I would expect Myers to be left unprotected, and the Jets to go 7/3/1.

So here is my list:

Connor Hellebuyck

Jacob Trouba
Dustin Byfuglien
Toby Engstrom
Tyler Myers

Mark Scheifele
Blake Wheeler
Brian Little
Adam Lowry