We’ve seen so many expansion mock drafts over the past year that it’s almost sickening. Some mocks have one viable player along with a fairy tale roster. Others pick a team with a salary cap pushing the upper limit. Some don’t even follow the rules. Finally, The Hockey News broke the trend and came out with a mock draft that makes sense in their Expansion Issue. THN’s expansion roster had talent, youth, veteran leadership, cap-eaters and inexpensive risks. It’s close to the formula we expect George McPhee will use in June. To see the whole thing, you’ll have to pick up an issue, cause it’s no where to be found on the Internet.
THN’s formula seemed to put a surprisingly low on value goaltending. THN drafted Eddie Lack, Calvin Pickard and Malcolm Subban. One’s injured and the other two are unproven in the NHL. Altogether, the three goaltenders have started a total of 153 games and let in a combined 447 goals. Terrible. Luckily, Vegas wouldn’t be stuck with any of the three chosen. Lack and Pickard’s contracts come off the books after the Golden Knights inaugural season while Subban is an RFA after this season. All three are goaltenders with unappealing stats, inexpensive expiring contracts, proving THN had one thing in mind, mitigating risk between the pipes.
Lack started his first game this week after a two concussions. With Carolina in a fight for a wild card, Lack and the Canes lost 5-0 to the streaking Capitals. A tough assignment on Lack’s first day back.
I felt like I was chasing the game at first, I was all over the place. Maybe I wanted it too much, you know. I felt like I settled down in the second and made some good saves, and they got some good goals in the third. It’s never fun letting five goals in, for sure. One part of me feels like it’s fun being back and playing and everything, and one part of me is disappointed. -Eddie Lack, Carolina
