Breaking down team by team how the expansion draft affects the Western Conference team by team

The Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft on Thursday was a unique event in that it had an impact on every NHL team. So we will focus on what impact losing at least one player will have on each Western Conference team. The focus will not be on the formation of the Knights, as that will be covered in another article. It’s also important to note that these transactions are not final in any way, since there are numerous trades and free agent signings that have yet to happen.

Anaheim Ducks – Shea Theodore, Clayton Stoner

The Ducks were destined to lose a defenseman and they didn’t want it to be the unprotected Sami Vatanen or Josh Manson. So the Ducks will focus on the present and let top prospect Theodore fly. This move may not change the value of Vatanen, Cam Fowler, or Hampus Lindholm, since Theodore has played only 53 NHL games spread over two seasons and was in tough to take on a significant role if the Ducks’ defense somehow remained unchanged.

Theodore’s and Stoner’s departures should result in Brandon Montour cracking the Ducks’ squad full-time and could even nudge his way onto the second-unit power play. Montour scored 32 points in 36 games in the AHL last season, so like Theodore he also comes with significant fantasy upside. In fact, Theodore and Montour are ranked 1 and 3 respectively in Dobber’s latest Top 50 Fantasy Hockey Prospect Defensemen.

Arizona Coyotes – Teemu Pulkkinen

Pulkkinen played in just four games for the Coyotes, so the fantasy impact of this pick on the Coyotes will be minimal. With many young forwards on the Coyotes, Pulkkinen was anything but certain to crack the squad. Super prospects Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome will already no problem making the squad, but the door should open another crack for Christian Fischer to receive some NHL time this coming season.

Calgary Flames – Deryk Engelland

Engelland has virtually no fantasy value outside of hits and blocked shots, so there’s not much to mention here. With his contract and that of Dennis Wideman and Ladislav Smid coming off the books, the Flames will have an extra $8 million to spend, perhaps on defensemen that can complement Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, and T.J. Brodie. Stay tuned.

Chicago Blackhawks – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Losing van Riemsdyk wasn’t ideal for the Blackhawks, as he had assumed regular minutes playing alongside Brian Campbell for much of the season. The Darren Raddysh signing earlier this week gives the Blackhawks another right-handed defenseman in the organization to replace van Riemsdyk, although Raddysh is more offensive-minded. Jan Rutta, a signing earlier this month from the Czech league, is another possibility to fill the hole left by van Riemsdyk.

Colorado Avalanche – Calvin Pickard

Retaining inconsistent and injury-prone Semyon Varlamov over Pickard is a puzzling move, but the Avalanche didn’t sink to the bottom of the NHL because they made wise decisions. Regardless, it’s pretty simple: Varlamov should receive most of the starts next season if he doesn’t spend lengthy time on IR with another groin pull. That shouldn’t in any way increase his fantasy appeal. Goaltending prospect Spencer Martin still needs more time in the AHL, so don’t be surprised to see the Avs sign a cheap backup shortly.

Dallas Stars – Cody Eakin

Eakin saw significant even-strength time with Jamie Benn last season, but he was unable to capitalize with just 12 points in 60 games. He turned out to be more of a checking forward than anything in his time with Dallas, recording a career high of 40 points in 2014-15. His departure should create more of a real-life ripple than a fantasy one for the Stars. Eakin’s space could be filled by Mattias Janmark, as long as the knee condition that sidelined him for the entire 2016-17 season doesn’t spill over to 2017-18.

Edmonton Oilers – Griffin Reinhart

One key reason that the Oilers improved dramatically this past season was the upgrades that they made to their defense. That made Reinhart expendable, as the fourth overall pick in 2012 spent the entire season in the AHL. So the Oilers simply lose organizational depth on their defense. As a result, they may shop for added inexpensive depth on defense to make up for a player that cost them a first-round pick that the Islanders used to pick Mathew Barzal.

Los Angeles Kings – Brayden McNabb

McNabb wasn’t a significant offensive producer or minute muncher last season, so there won’t be a whole lot to say here. Kevin Gravel brings a lot of what McNabb brought, so he could be in for an increased role. The Kings have only four NHL defensemen under contract plus RFA Gravel, so they are another team that will be shopping for a coveted NHL-level blueliner or two.

Minnesota Wild – Erik Haula, Alex Tuch

It’s not so much about what the Wild lost as much as what they could have lost. The Golden Knights were able to add Tuch in a trade likely so that the Wild could retain the unprotected Matt Dumba and Eric Staal. Haula had shown flashes of offensive upside and often lined up with some of the Wild’s better scorers, but he could never secure power play. The forward situation in Minny was simply too crowded.

The Wild have plenty of forward prospects that are varying timelines away from the NHL. But one who should slot in because of Haula’s departure should be Joel Eriksson-Ek. He scored seven points in 15 games with the Wild before being loaned to a Swedish team. If Eriksson-Ek makes the team and plays wing, the Wild could be in the market for another center.

How about another potential fantasy ripple? Because the Wild did not need to cough up a defenseman, they can now trade one. One of Dumba, Jonas Brodin, and Marco Scandella could be on the move.

Nashville Predators – James Neal

Nashville’s need to protect its fearsome foursome on defense was going to cost them a forward. And it was a forward that could turn out to be Vegas’ leading goal scorer in 2017-18. So it’s fair to say that replacing sharpshooter Neal’s consistent 20+ goal production won’t be easy.

Leaving Neal unprotected was also a vote of confidence for Calle Jarnkrok. Since Jarnkrok still has five years left on his deal, he will be given every opportunity to fill some of that scoring void. If Jarnkrok can see increased power-play time and even find his way onto the first-unit power play (assuming the Preds use four forwards), then he is a good bet to reach 20 goals. Kevin Fiala, Pontus Aberg, and Frederick Gaudreau should also be given an opportunity for increased roles.

Following a Stanley Cup Finals appearance that will leave Predators’ fans thirsting for more, GM David Poile may also look into the trade market or free agency, since Mike Fisher may retire.

San Jose Sharks – David Schlemko

Schlemko has shown small doses of offensive upside and power-play production throughout his career, but his loss won’t affect the Sharks tremendously from a fantasy level. Dylan DeMelo, who hasn’t shown much offense at the AHL level, could be in line to take Schlemko’s spot. The more notable fantasy option would be Tim Heed, who scored 56 points in 55 AHL games last season. This could be a battle to keep an eye on during training camp.

St. Louis Blues – David Perron

Leaving Perron unprotected in favor of gritty Ryan Reaves might be another questionable move, especially since the Knights were more likely to pick up Perron than Reaves. Yet Robby Fabbri, who was injured for some of 2016-17, should more than make up for Perron’s lost production. There are also at least a couple more scorers potentially waiting in the wings. 

Expect Ivan Barbashev to play in his first full season for the Blues. Barbashev scored a decent 12 points in 30 games and even saw some time on the top line by the end of the season. Kenny Agostino should also be considered a possibility to fill Perron’s roster spot. Agostino played just seven games for the Blues last season, but he tore up the AHL with 83 points in just 65 games.

Vancouver Canucks – Luca Sbisa

Sbisa gets the job done when it comes to hits and blocked shots, but he provides next-to-no scoring for fantasy rosters. The fantasy implications in Van City aren’t huge, but the expected loss of Sbisa and the unexpected loss of Nikita Tryamkin could pave the way for Olli Juolevi to make the Canucks. If Juolevi isn’t quite ready for the NHL this coming season, offensive-minded Jordan Subban is another possibility. Subban played under new Canucks’ coach Travis Green in the AHL, so he may receive more of a look than he did under Willie Desjardins.

Winnipeg Jets – Chris Thorburn

I’m wondering if this is just a throwaway pick for the Golden Knights after they swapped Columbus' pick with the Jets to move up in the draft so the Jets could keep Toby Enstrom. It’s hard to explain the fantasy impact of a veteran forward who has never scored 20 points in a season, but we’ll try. The Jets recently signed Marko Dano, which could mean he fits more into their plans in 2017-18. After an injury-plagued 2016-17, Dano will have much to prove. The Jets appear set with their top 6 forwards, so Dano is likely a longshot to have a significant fantasy impact this coming season.

For more fantasy hockey information, follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.